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For  sale  by  all  dealers  in  Photographic  goods,  and  sent,  post-paid,  on  receipt 
of  price,  by  the  publishers, 

THE  SCOVILL  & ADAMS  COMPANY, 

Send  for  Book  Catalogue.  423  Broome  St.,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 


Ralph  W.  Robinson,  Photo. 


“MEDORA. 


Illustrating  Chapter  III. 


Picture  Making 

IN  THE 

Studio 

BY  PHOTOGRAPHY, 


WITH  SUPPLEMENTARY  CHAPTERS  ON  THE  BUSINESS  OF 
PORTRAIT  PHOTOGRAPHY  AND  INDIVIDUALITY 
IN  PHOTOGRAPHY. 

BY 


H.  P.  Robinson, 


Author  of  “ Pictorial  Effect  in  Photography,”  “ Letters  on 
Landscape  Photography,”  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 


“ Dost  Thou  love  Pictures?  We  will  fetch  them  straight ; 

As  lively  Painted  as  the  deed  was  done.” 

— Shakespea  re. 


NEW  YORK : 

THE  SCOVILL  & ADAMS  COMPANY. 


1892. 


Copyright,  1892. 

By  The  Scovill  & Adams  Co. 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 


The  following  chapters  on  “ Picture-Making  in  the 
Studio  ” and  the  one  entitled  the  Business  of  Portrait 
Photography  originally  appeared  in  the  pages  of  The 
Photographic  Times  (the  latter,  under  a different  title),  for 
which  magazine  they  were  expressly  written  by  their  emi- 
nent author.  The  supplementary  chapter  on  Individuality 
in  Photography  was  first  given  to  the  public  as  a lecture, 
and  was  read  before  the  Photographic  Convention  of  the 
United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  in  the  summer  of  1892. 
It  also  was  published  in  The  Photographic  Times , and  is 
reprinted  here  with  the  other  chapters,  as  its  subject-matter 
is  of  an  appropriate  nature.  The  proofs  have  been  revised 
and  corrected,  with  additions,  by  the  author 


New  York,  December,  1892. 


I 


CONTENTS 


\ 

PAGE 

Publishers’  Preface,  ---------  3 

CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory,  ----------  7 

CHAPTER  II. 

Plow  a Studio  Picture  was  Conceived  and  Executed,  - 16 

CHAPTER  IIP 

Portraits  that  are  Pictures, - 26 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Printing,  -----------  34 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Business  of  Portrait  Photography,  -----  43 

SUPPLEMENTARY  CHAPTER. 

Individuality  in  Photography,  - --  --  --  50 

ILLUSTRATION  TO  CHAPTER  III. 


“ Medora,”  by  Ralph  W.  Robinson. 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory. 

Judging  from  the  results  that  come  before 
me,  particularly  in  the  illustrations  published 
in  the  photographic  journals,  studio  picture- 
making is  as  much  practised  in  America  as 
landscapes  or  outdoor  figure  composition. 
And,  if  I may  be  allowed  to  state  my  opinion 
freely,  the  success,  in  what  may  be  called  the 
higher  walks,  does  not  seem  commensurate  with 
the  evident  ambition,  careful  study,  knowledge, 
and  industry  of  those  who  attempt  them.  It  is 
eas}r  to  see  that  this  partial  want  of  success  is 
not  so  much  from  deficiency  of  ability  as,  if  I 
am  not  mistaken,  from  working  in  the  wrong 
direction.  More  is  expected  and  attempted 
than  the  nature  of  the  art  will  permit,  and 


8 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


the  limits  of  our  art  have  not  been  recognized. 
I will  endeavor  to  explain  more  fully  what 
I mean. 

Picture-making  in  the  studio  is  a very  lim- 
ited subject.  There  is  a good  deal  to  be  done, 
but  very  little  of  which  anything  of  definite 
value  can  constructively  be  said.  It  is  true 
that  much  might  be  written  on  what  at  a first 
glance  appears  to  belong  to  the  subject,  but 
that  depends  upon  what  you  will  agree  to 
include  under  the  much-abused  word  picture. 
For  my  part  I draw  the  line  rather  high.  I 
will  admit  a good  deal  of  making-up,  but  in 
our  present  state  of  artistic  education  we  are 
bound  to  exclude  palpable  sham,  and  all  the 
make-believe  we  attempt  must  be  so  near  the 
truth  as  not  to  be  distinguished  from  that 
tyrannous  dweller  in  the  well.  This  at  one  blow 
does  away  with  outdoor  scenes  manufactured 
in  the  studio  ; painted  backgrounds,  except  in 
a slight  degree  ; moulded  rocks  ; boats  on  can- 
vas sands,  or  carpet ; miniature  masts,  and  sham 
swings.  All  these  may  be  very  well,  and  very 
useful  in  the  ordinary  business  of  portraiture — 
until  the  public  will  put  up  with  them  no  long- 
er— saving  the  operator  much  trouble  in  posing, 
and  unfortunately,  at  present,  pleasing  the  aver- 
age sitter.  I say  unfortunately  because  it  is 
depressing,  in  the  present  state  of  advanced 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


9 


general  education,  that  such  things  give  satis- 
faction. They  do  not  belong  to  the  higher  art. 

More  than  usual  depends  on  the  choice  of 
subjects  ; we  should  attempt  only  what  we  can 
perform.  Great  attempts  do  not  always  excuse 
failures,  and  wise  ambition  should  take  the  direc- 
tion of  a determination  to  execute  a simple  sub- 
ject perfectly,  rather  than  on  the  choice  of  a 
complex  theme  altogether  unsuited  to  the  art. 

It  is  better  to  save  time  by  admitting  at  once 
that  there  are  some  subjects  altogether  beyond 
us.  This  must  have  been  evident  to  all  unpre- 
judiced artistic  minds,  for  several  years,  in  the 
results  of  the  principal  competitions  at  your  con- 
ventions. I have  admired  the  enthusiasm  and 
energy  with  which  some  of  your  photographers 
have  attacked  these  gigantic  essays.  Knowing 
the  difficulties  in  the  way,  I have  even  been 
surprised  at  the  comparative  excellence  of  the 
results  ; they  show  great  knowledge  of  com- 
position and  chiaro-oscuro,  and  all  that  goes  to 
the  making  of  successful  pictures,  except  that 
saving  knowledge  which  recognizes  that  a sub- 
ject is  beyond  your  powers,  or  not  fitted  to  the 
resources  of  your  art. 

If  you  will  consider  over  all  those  photo- 
graphs that  have  pleased  you  most  from  an  art 
point  of  view,  you  will  find — and,  if  you  have 
not  thought  over  the  subject  before,  it  will  sur- 


IO 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


prise  3rou — that  the  best  pictures,  those  you 
have  considered  the  greatest  triumphs  of  our 
art,  have  been  of  the  simplest  description.  An 
unsuitable  subject  may  surprise  by  its  daring,  ex- 
cite wonder  by  its  mere  size,  and  admiration  by 
its  displa3r  of  art  power,  but  these  emotions  are 
of  the  moment  only,  they  don’t  last — and  then 
comes  the  feeling  of  insincerity,  and  the  whole 
wonderful  castle  in  the  air  dissolves,  it  has  no 
substantial  basis.  Your  admiration  may  have 
been  captured  by  the  displa3T  of  skill,  and  your 
sympathies  won  by  the  evident  earnest  effort, 
but  37ou  soon  feel  the  fraud.  The  artist  may 
call  his  picture  Henry  VIII.,  in  the  catalogue, 
and  it  may  look  like  that  much-married  monarch, 
but  when  the  spectator  comes  to  his  senses  he 
sa3Ts  to  himself,  “Why,  that  is  only  Tommy 
Johnson  from  the  theatre,  after  all.” 

But  we  are  not  without  resources.  We  have 
the  consolation  of  knowing  that  so  great  an 
artist  as  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  says  that  “art  in 
its  perfection  is  not  ostentatious.”  I should  be 
sony  to  infer  from  this  wise  saying  that  there- 
fore the  greatest  art  is  the  most  lowty,  but  it  is 
certain  that  very  great  art  has  been  shown  in 
most  humble  subjects.  A good  picture  of  a 
simple  subject  is  an  infinitely  higher  work  of 
art  than  a mediocre  historical  picture,  and  it  is 
a question  whether  some  of  the  Dutch  masters 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO.  II 

did  not  show  as  much  art — as  art — in  their  tav- 
ern scenes  as  was  shown  by  Raphael  in  his  ‘ ‘Holy 
Families,”  or  Titian  in  his  mythological  paint- 
ings. However  that  may  be,  it  is  certain  that 
there  are  a great  variety  of  subjects  open  to 
limited  means  of  art  such  as  photography  affords, 
and  the  sooner  we  recognize  our  limits  the  more 
time  we  shall  have  to  work  within  them.  I am 
aware  that  there  are  those  of  quite  a different 
opinion,  who  say,  with  Lord  Lyndhurst,  that 
“a  difficulty  is  a thing  to  be  overcome,”  and 
there  can  be  no  objection  to  those  who  care  to 
make  experiments  to  try  to  widen  the  limits 
to  which  our  appliances  seem  to  confine  us,  but 
in  my  mind  it  is  better  at  present  to  try  to 
reach  as  near  perfection  as  possible  well  within 
our  boundaries.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  slay 
the  giants  after  your  weapons  have  been  well 
proved  on  something  less  gigantic. 

Photography  is  a real  thing,  and  although 
it  is  not  always  bound  down  to  literal  fact,  there 
is  not  much  room  in  it  for  that  ‘ ‘ artistic  license  ” 
which  used  to  excuse  any  vagary  of  the  painter. 
Its  subjects  should  be  selected  from  the  inci- 
dents of  our  own  time,  but  if  we  depart  from 
them  let  there  be  no  false  pretense.  If  we  repre- 
sent a lady  in  a Greek  dress  call  it  frankly  a lady 
in  a Greek  dress  and  not  Aspasia.  She  does  not 
live  now,  and  you  cannot  photograph  her — al- 


12 


PICTURE-MAKINCx  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


though  it  is  just  possible  spiritualists  may  not 
agree  with  me. 

The  age  of  sham  is  over.  We  no  longer 
delight  in  a thing  because  it  is  not  what  it  pre- 
tends to  be.  In  our  houses  we  have  ceased  to 
take  pleasure  in  the  imitation  of  marbles  in  our 
wall  papers,  or  in  the  delusion  of  grained  doors, 
however  near  its  imitation  may  be  to  wood  ; 
we  are  educated  beyond  caring  for  wax  flowers, 
however  much  more  beautiful  they  may  be 
than  nature,  and  stuffed  birds  have  been  rele- 
gated to  the  hats  and  bonnets  of  those  ladies 
who  have  so  little  taste  as  to  wear  them.  In 
photography  seas  and  skies  taken  by  sunlight, 
and  printed  in  greenish-blue  autotype,  no  long- 
er satisfv  the  cultivated  mind  as  a substitute 
•/ 

for  moonlight.  The  legend,  “All  affectation  is 
bad,”  should  be  written  up  large  in  the  studio. 
Affectation  and  insincerity  are  at  a discount,  and 
laboriously  built-up  mongrel  scenes,  professing 
to  represent  subjects  from  poetry  or  history, 
pall  on  the  taste,  and  leave  a sickening  sense  of 
unreality  of  vision  and  a too  great  actuality 
of  make-believe. 

Not  but  what  a great  deal  of  talent  may  be 
shown  in  these  mistaken  attempts.  In  the  con- 
vention pictures  to  which  I have  alluded,  I 
have  been  astonished  at  the  excellence  of  con- 
ception, fertility  of  invention,  evidence  of  re- 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


3 


search,  and  control  of  composition  and  light 
and  shade,  the  apt  selection  and  drilling  of 
models,  the  industrious  manufacture  of  cos- 
tumes, and  the  laborious  industry  of  their  pro- 
ducers ; but  the  effect  on  the  mind  is  that  which 
similar  mistaken  efforts  had  on  Dr.  Johnson, 
who  wished  that  they  were  not  only  difficult, 
but  impossible. 

The  artists  who  produced  these  well-intend- 
ed, if  mistaken,  pictures  are  capable  of  better 
things,  but  they  must  get  down  off  their  stilts. 
I give  some  of  them  credit  that  they  felt  guilty 
over  the  work,  and  only  did  it  because  those 
subjects  were  selected  for  them  to  exercise  their 
undoubted  abilities  on  in  competition  for  prizes. 

I wish  the  convention  authorities  could  be 
induced  to  offer  good  prizes  for  simple  subjects 
more  within  the  reach  of  the  photographer, 
but  not  to  indicate  any  particular  subject.  Gen- 
eral directions  may  be  given,  but  the  choice 
and  invention — a not  unimportant  part  of  the 
whole — should  be  left  to  the  photographer.  It 
is  very  desirable  that  this  kind  of  picture  should 
be  encouraged.  I am  not  sufficiently  acquaint- 
ed with  the  picturesque  life  of  America  to 
make  definite  suggestions.  In  England  we 
have  fine  old  cottages  and  other  buildings  that 
are  the  delight  of  the  artist.  They  are,  un- 
fortunately, fast  disappearing,  but  sufficient 


14 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


remain  to  furnish  themes  for  many  pictures. 
Rooms  with  immense  fireplaces,  with  ingle 
nooks,  blackened  rafters,  diamond-paned  win- 
dows, and  old-fashioned  furniture.  Not,  per- 
haps, particularly  comfortable  or  healthy  to 
to  live  in,  but  admirable  material  for  the  artist. 

I do  not  know  if  you  have  anything  similar 
in  the  land  that  knows  not  ruin  or  decay,  but 
surely  there  must  be  some  interior  subjects 
that  would  afford  scope  for  artistic  treatment 
and  picturesque  effect.  Mothers  and  children 
are  to  be  found  everywhere  in  all  grades  of  life, 
and  give  opportunity  for  illustrating  the  whole 
range  of  feeling  ; old  men  are  not  scarce  ; dogs 
and  other  animals  are  always  ready  to  give 
a motive,  and  I have  seen  a quantity  of  excel- 
lent photographs  from  your  side  in  which  the 
irrepressible  “nigger”  was  the  prevailing  and 
most  adequate  characteristic. 

I am  afraid  that  the  photographer  must  be 
guided,  in  some  measure,  in  the  choice  of  his 
subjects  by  the  models  and  accessories  at  his 
command,  somewhat  after  the  manner  in  which 
Nicholas  Nickleby  had  to  regulate  his  dramas 
to  the  resources  of  the  company  and  to  include 
the  real  pump  and  washing  tubs  that  Mr.  Crum- 
mies had  bought  a bargain.  It  is  not  my  busi- 
ness here  to  suggest  subjects.  I am  not  pre- 
sumptuous enough  to  attempt  to  try  to  teach 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


the  art  of  imagination.  New  ideas,  or  what 
are  called  new  ideas,  are  often  thought  to  be 
the  suggestions  of  sudden  inspiration,  but  they 
are  more  ordinarihr  evolved  from  antecedent 
facts  or  surrounding  circumstances,  and  the 
photographer  may  feel  sure  that  the  more  prac- 
tice his  imagination  has  the  more  fertile  will 
it  be. 


CHAPTER  II. 

How  a Studio  Picture  was  Conceived  and 
Executed. 

I will  now  proceed  to  describe  the  produc- 
tion of  a picture  which  may  be  remembered 
by  some  of  the  readers  of  The  Photographic 
Times , a small  photogravure  reproduction  of 
it  having  been  published  in  its  pages  about 
three  years  ago.  It  was  called  ‘ ‘ Dawn  and 
Sunset.”  A wise  artist  should  never  osten- 
tatiously describe  the  details  of  the  putting 
together  of  his  picture.  Analysis  takes  away 
the  attention  from  the  effect,  and  fixes  it  on 
the  mechanism,  and  his  efforts  should  be  di- 
rected to  hiding  the  mechanism  and  showing 
the  effect.  Not  that  he  should  keep  secrets, 
or  pretend  to  have  any,  but  simply  that  des- 
cription defeats  his  one  object,  which  should 
be  to  delight  his  spectator  with  his  subject,  his 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


17 


art  and  his  skill.  But  a full  description  of  this 
picture  will  tell  pretty  well  all  I know  of  ‘ ‘ how 
to  make  pictures  in  a studio,”  and  it  may  be 
worth  the  sacrifice. 

Walking  down  a country  lane  on  a fine 
April  morning,  1 met  a very  old  man,  bent 
with  years  and  labor,  and  supporting  himself 
with  two  sticks.  He  was  dressed  in  one  of  the 
picturesque  smock-frocks  that  have  now  al- 
most disappeared  from  our  rural  life.  He  had 
a grand  head  and  was  altogether  one  of  the 
best  subjects  I had  seen.  I felt  an  absolute 
compulsion  to  make  a picture  of  him.  In  my 
mind’s  eye  I at  once  saw  him  sitting  in  his  cot- 
tage brooding  over  a d}dng  fire  emblematical  of 
the  end.  I at  once  engaged  him,  to  his  great 
satisfaction,  and  had  him  to  my  studio,  where  I 
made  a few  preliminary  studies.  The  next  pro- 
ceeding was  to  make  several  small  rough  sketch- 
es of  subjects,  utilizing  the  old  man.  All  of 
these  included  a young  child  as  a contrast  to 
the 'ancient  model.  From  these  were  evolved 
an  idea  and  a design  that  pleased  me,  and 
appeared  to  be  within  the  possibilities  of  the 
material  at  my  command.  From  the  small 
sketch  was  now  made  a tolerably  finished  draw- 
ing in  charcoal,  of  the  size  of  the  proposed 
picture,  32  inches  by  22,  and  this  size  was  de- 
termined by  the  size  of  my  camera,  23  by  17. 


i8 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


In  this  sketch  was  shown  the  scheme  of  light 
and  shade  I desired,  and  the  position  of  every 
object.  I may  here  remark  that  although  a 
large  size  suited  this  particular  subject,  it  is  a 
mistake  to  make  a large  picture  because  you 
happen  to  have  a big  camera.  Different  sub- 
jects seem  to  demand  different  dimensions  as 
well  as  proportions.  In  art  there  is  nothing 
great  in  bigness.  Greatness  in  art  can  be  pack- 
ed into,  a small  space.  Meissonier  put  more  art 
into  a few  inches  than  many  painters  put  into 
acres.  Some  even  argue  that  as  much  art  may 
be  crowded  into  a photograph  the  size  of  a post- 
age stamp  as  could  be  painted  on  the  side  of  a 
house.  But  these  are  enthusiasts. 

A description  of  the  completed  subject  may 
aid  the  memory  and  facilitate  the  explanation 
of  the  building-up  of  the  picture. 

The  scene  is  the  interior  of  a cottage,  show- 
ing a large  fireplace,  and  a window  to  the  left. 
The  window  is  the  principal  source  of  light, 
but  not  the  only  one,  as  I shall  presently  show. 
A very  old  man  is  sitting  over  the  fire  brooding 
over  the  past.  At  least  that  is  the  idea  intend- 
ed to  be  conveyed.  Nearer  the  window  in  the 
fuller  light,  sits  a young  mother  with  a baby  in 
her  arms  which  she  has  prepared  for  the  cradle 
beside  her.  The  child  is  not  asleep,  and  al- 
though a small  part  of  the  face  only  is  visible 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


*9 


it  may  be  seen  that  it  is  answering  its  mothers 
smile.  The  principal  light  is  from  the  window 
on  the  left,  and  a faint  glow  comes  from  the 
waning  fire. 

It  may,  perhaps,  puzzle  some  of  my  readers 
to  know  how  the  size  of  a picture  32  x 22  was 
controlled  by  the  size  of  a camera  23  x 17.  It 
must  be  recollected  that  a picture  of  this  kind 
could  not  be  taken  on  one  plate.  There  wxre 
several  reasons  which  made  it  imperative  to 
take  it  in  portions.  A plate  the  full  size  would, 
of  course,  not  have  been  impossible,  but  besides 
considerations  of  focus,  it  would  be  leaving  too 
much  to  chance  to  get  all  the  figures  quite  right 
at  the  same  time.  Nothing  should  be  left  to 
chance,  and  by  taking  the  figures  separately 
more  attention  could  be  paid  to  each  group, 
while  the  difficulty  of  printing  them  together 
was  not  worth  a thought. 

The  sketch  having  been  made  to  the  mi- 
nutest detail,  there  remained  a great  deal  of 
trouble  but  no  difficult}^  in  carrying  it  out.  I 
had  no  spare  studio  suitable  to  the  work,  and 
therefore  had  to  build  one.  This  was  made 
principally  of  Willesden  paper  (a  very  conveni- 
ent material  for  temporary  buildings),  the  size 
about  30  x 15  feet.  The  end  showing  the  fire- 
place and  windows  was  built  up  solidly  with 
bricks  and  mortar,  and  the  chimney  of  wood. 


20 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


The  necessity  for  a chimney  sufficient  to  carry 
away  smoke  will  be  seen  presently.  The  scene 
was  now  arranged  and  every  little  detail  as  shown 
in  the  sketch  attended  to.  Too  much  study 
cannot  be  given  to  this  part  of  the  work,  and 
the  end  of  much  study  should  be  the  absence  of 
evidence  of  any  study  at  all.  Or  rather  to  the 
ordinary  spectator  the  effect  should  be  that  of 
chance,  but  the  educated  artist  would  see  (and 
admire  if  properly  done)  that  all  apparent  chance 
was  the  result  of  trained  direction  ; 

“ All  chance  direction  which  thou  canst  not  see  ; 

All  discord  harmony  not  understood,” 

but  which  has  its  effect  on  the  completed  result. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  interpolate  here  an  essay 
on  the  art  of  composition.  One  great  object  in 
arranging  the  subject  should  be  to  save  the 
models.  Nothing  should  be  left  to  arrange 
after  the  model  is  placed.  This  is  a rock  on 
which  photographers  stumble.  Sitters  for  por- 
traits often  become  weary  w^hile  the  photogra- 
pher is  fussing  over  some  unimportant  detail 
that  may  have  been  seen  to  previously.  Make 
it  a rule  to  never  waste  your  model. 

Pictures  of  the  kind  we  have  now  before  us 
are  often  spoilt  by  the  injudicious  use  and 
crowding  of  accessories.  The  ease  with  which 
obj  ects  full  of  intricate  detail  are  rendered  in  pho- 
tography is  a great  temptation  to  overload  the 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


21 


scene.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  diffi- 
culty to  be  overcome  is  exactly  opposite  to  that 
of  the  painter.  The  latter  knowing  the  labor 
required  to  give  detail  or  finish,  endeavors  to 
persuade  himself  and  the  public  that  it  is  cred- 
itable and  clever  to  avoid  elaboration,  takes  ref- 
uge in  impressionism  and  tells  you  the  picture 
is  finished  when  he  has  done  with  it.  If  you 
cannot  understand  it  and  don’t  like  it,  and 
want  to  be  civil,  you  cover  your  retreat  with  the 
word  “suggestive.”  On  the  other  hand  the 
photographer’s  difficulty  is  to  suppress,  and  sub- 
ordination is  one  of  the  least  manageable  feat- 
ures of  his  art,  and  should  be  carefully  studied  ; 
not  so  much  because  it  is  a difficulty  as  that 
your  work  will  have  very  little  of  art  quality  if 
it  is  without  that  essential  character. 

In  collecting  accessories  it  is  of  consequence 
to  think  of  the  tone,  and  its  effect  on  the 
chiaro-oscuro  as  well  as  the  form.  It  would  have 
been  destructive  of  all  harmony,  for  instance, 
if  a clean,  white-margined  engraving  had  been 
placed  over  the  fireplace  ; if  the  jug  on  the  table 
had  unduly  attracted  the  eye,  or  the  flowers  in 
the  window  had  been  too  obtrusive.  In  the 
apparently  small  matter  of  the  wicker  cradle  in 
the  foreground  I had  a good  deal  of  trouble. 
In  all  the  shops  I could  find  nothing  but  those 
made  of  nearly  white  peeled  willow.  I had, 


22 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


therefore,  to  get  one  especially  made  of  the 
natural  twigs  with  the  bark  on.  This  was  not 
departure  from  nature,  as  this  kind  is  often 
used  by  the  poorer  classes. 

A word  must  now  be  said  of  the  lighting  of 
the  group.  It  is  quite  clear  that,  even  if  it  ad- 
mitted sufficient  light  for  photographic  pur- 
poses, if  the  light  were  obtained  from  one  small 
window  only,  the  effect  must  be  hard  and  full 
of  violent  contrasts.  An  expedient,  therefore, 
must  be  found  for  softening  the  shadows.  It 
would  not  be  straining  nature  too  much  to 
imagine  that  the  cottage  had  an  another  win- 
dow or  open  door.  To  put  this  into  practice 
the  end  of  the  studio  opposite  the  scene  was 
taken  out  and  the  arrangement  was  found  to 
produce  the  desired  amount  of  softness.  Then 
measures  had  to  be  taken  for  the  firelight,  a 
very  slight  effect,  but  which,  I think,  greatly 
adds  to  the  completeness  and  naturalness  of  the 
picture.  It  could  have  been  greatly  increased, 
but  there  was  the  danger  of  a vulgar,  clap-trap 
effect.  To  show  the  naked  fire  would  not  have 
been  desirable,  or,  indeed,  at  that  time,  possi- 
ble, and  therefore  a chair  over  the  back  of  which 
hung  a towel — not  a white  one — was  placed 
before  it.  The  source  of  light  was  a large  pill- 
box full  of  pyrotechnic  composition,  stuck  full 
of  bits  of  magnesium  ribbon,  and  fired  by  an 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


23 


assistant  at  the  moment  of  exposure.  The  flash- 
light was  not  invented  at  that  time.  The  open 
chimney  saved  any  difficulty  with  the  smoke. 

Everything  being  ready  it  is  time  to  intro- 
duce the  models.  We  began  with  the  old  man, 
and  he  being  very  easy  was  soon  done  with. 
It  is  not  worth  while  going  into  the  photo- 
graphic details  except,  perhaps,  to  say  that  the 
lens  was  Dallmeyer’s  7 D,  the  camera  home- 
made of  deal,  at  the  cost  of  thirty  shillings,  the 
exposure  35  seconds,  and  that  four  plates  were 
exposed.  Not  that  more  than  one  was  really 
required,  but  I like  to  have  duplicates  in  case 
of  accidents.  Now  came  the  difficulty.  The 
baby,  in  all  groups,  if  awake,  is  always  the 
weak  link  in  the  chain.  I won’t  enter  into  any 
account  of  the  trouble  I had  in  getting  the 
right  baby,  or  the  many  half-crowns  I paid  as 
compensation — or  as  consolation — to  disappoint- 
ed mothers  who  brought  their  treasures  for 
inspection,  only  to  be  rejected  as  unsuitable. 
The  mother  was  easier,  and  had  had  some  ex- 
perience in  posing,  and  knew  exactly  how  to 
take  my  orders.  I ought  to  have  mentioned 
that  to  take  this  half  of  the  picture  the  camera 
had  to  be  swung  round  a little.  Scientific 
purists,  who  are  the  bane  of  art,  would  delight 
in  proving  that  altering  the  position  of  the 
camera  would  upset  the  truth  of  perspective, 


24 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


to  which  I can  only  reply  that  I don’t  care  ; that 
there  is  no  want  of  truth  that  the  eye  can  de- 
tect, and  that  I don’t  supply  measuring  rules 
to  the  spectators  of  my  pictures. 

It  would  have  been  easy  to  put  the  child  to 
sleep,  but  I had  made  up  my  mind  that  she 
should  show  an  answering  smile  to  the  mother. 
Another  smaller  point  was  to  contrast  the  little 
hand  of  the  child  with  that  of  the  woman. 
The  first  and  second  exposures  were  failures 
through  moving.  He  only  knows  who  is  pho- 
tographing a baby  on  a costly  plate  what  an 
infinity  of  time  there  is  in  thirty-five  seconds! 
However,  out  of  ten  exposures  I got  two  nega- 
tives which  fairly  satisfied  me. 

While  the  two  sides  of  the  picture  were  be- 
ing taken  the  cradle  was  not  wanted,  and  was 
removed  out  of  the  way.  It  was  now  replaced 
and  a separate  negative  made  of  it.  If  it  had 
been  taken  with  the  mother  and  child  it  would 
have  been  hopelessly  out  of  focus.  The  picture, 
therefore,  consists  of  three  separate  negatives  ; 
the  old  man  and  background  as  far  as  the  in- 
side of  the  chimney  jamb  ; the  mother  and 
child,  including  the  window  and  background, 
and  the  cradle. 

I am  afraid  I have  gone  wearisomely  into 
details,  and  I also  fear  I have  robbed  my  picture 
of  any  of  the  mystery  that  it  may  have  contain- 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


25 


ed,  but  I should  greatly  prefer  to  see  some  simple 
subjects  of  this  kind  carried  out  instead  of  im- 
possible Elaines  and  Hiawathas. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Portraits  that  are  Pictures. 

Besides  the  simple  kind  of  rustic  picture  de- 
scribed in  the  last  chapter  there  are  other  classes 
of  subjects  which  may  be  legitimately  produced 
in  the  studio.  An}^  picturesque  subject  the  ac- 
tion of  which  takes  place  indoors  is,  of  course, 
quiet  suitable.  This  includes  a very  wide  range 
of  incidents  too  indefinite  to  be  clearly  stated. 
It  is  not  necessary  that  interiors  should  always 
be  rustic  interiors  ; indoor  scenes  may  range 
from  the  humble  kitchen  of  a cottage  to  the 
ceremonial  salons  of  a palace. 

A portrait  should  occasionally  become  a pic- 
ture as  well  as  a likeness.  I am  bound  to  qual- 
ify this  statement,  however,  by  the  word  occa- 
sionally, because  it  is  not  every,  or,  indeed, 
many  sitters,  coming  to  us  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  business,  that  bring  with  them  the 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


27 


possibilities  of  picture-making.  Portrait  paint- 
ers differ  greatly  in  the  effect  they  give  to  their 
works.  Did  anybody  ever  see  a portrait  by  Rem- 
brandt that  was  not  a picture,  or  one  by  some 
popular  portraitist  of  the  present  day  that  was  ? 
Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  differed  from  most  paint- 
ers in  this  respect.  He  may  be  said  to  have 
made  all  his  portraits  pictures  and  all  his  pic- 
tures portraits.  He  never  painted  a portrait 
that  was  not  interesting  apart  from  any  interest 
in  the  original,  and  he  never  painted  a picture 
that  was  not  a direct  representation  of  a sitter 
before  him.  His  wonderful  “ Puck”  sitting  on 
a toadstool  ; his  ‘ ‘ Infant  Hercules  Strangling 
the  Serpents”  were  direct  portraits  of  children, 
and  in  his  “ Holy  Family”  the  virgin  is  just  a 
portrait  of  a simple  English  village  maiden  and 
nothing  more.  No  painter  is  more  worthy  of 
study  by  the  photographer  who  wishes  to  make 
pictures  of  his  portraits  than  Reynolds.  He 
could  even  make  a pictorial  arrangement  of  a 
portrait  group,  which  may  be  taken  as  a supreme 
test  of  skill  in  an  artist.  His  children  are  sim- 
ply wonderful,  and  not  one  of  them  (color  apart) 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  appliances  of  photog- 
raphy, although  they  may  be  at  present  be- 
yond the  skill  of  photographers.  Their  merit 
is  attained  by  utmost  simplicity,  happy  expres- 
sion, and  effective  light  and  shade.  There  is  no 


28 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


straining  after  effect,  and  many  of  his  children 
— the  delightful  Miss  Bowles,  for  instance — 
look  straight  at  the  artist,  an  effect  that  some 
writers  would  persuade  us  is  scarcely  permis- 
sible. In  looking  over  prints  of  many'  of  his 
pictures  of  children  it  will  be  seen  that  he 
concentrates  the  light  on  the  upper  part  of  the 
figure  by  the  use  of  what  some  would  call  false 
shadows.  And  it  is  true  that  it  would  take  a 
good  deal  of  subtle  argument  to  explain  the 
matter-of-fact  existence  of  some  of  these  shad- 
ows ; but  what  beauty  they  add  to  the  effect ! 
And  is  not  the  attainment  of  beauty  a sufficient 
excuse  for  a little  straining  of  fact  ? 

Photography  is  the  truthful  art,  but  why 
should  we  always  hamper  ourselves  with  hard 
facts?  If  everything  is  fair  in  love  and  war, 
why  should  it  not  be  so  in  art  ? But  I must  in- 
sist on  success  to  justify  doubtful  means.  The 
same  law  of  license  should  allow  us  to  use  paint- 
ed backgrounds.  We  have  taken  that  liberty, 
indeed,  from  very  early  days,  and,  unfortun- 
ately, seldom  done  it  well,  but  of  late  years  there 
has  been  great  improvement  in  this  matter,  and 
you  have  shown  us  the  way  in  America.  It 
requires  a good  artist  to  make  nature  and  art 
amalgamate,  and  not  even  great  skill  can  al- 
ways prevent  incongruity.  Here  is  an  example 
in  a sister  art.  For  several  years  we  have  had 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


29 


an  excellent  dramatic  company  acting  Shake- 
speare’s plays  in  the  open  air,  often  in  what 
appeared  to  be  appropriate  natural  scenery. 
For  instance,  a fine  bit  of  old  forest  was  used 
for  the  sylvan  scenery  in  “As  You  Like  It.” 
Here  we  were  getting  closer  to  nature  than  was 
possible  on  the  boards.  Here  was  the  Forest  of 
Arden  itself  with  Rosalind  and  Celia , Touch- 
stone and  Audry,  and  Orlando , all  true  to  life 
as  near  as  imitation  would  go,  but  the  natural 
scenery  did  not  harmonize  with  the  artificial 
figures  and  words.  The  half  nature  half  art 
was  a mistake.  The  effect  should  have  “pal- 
pitated with  actuality,”  but  the  feeling  on  the 
spectator  was  that  of  a very  real  sham.  And 
when  Amiens , surrounded  by  the  company,  had 
to  sing  about  “Winter  and  rough  weather”  in 
very  real  rain,  as  sometimes  happened,  the 
audience  under  their  umbrellas,  as  well  as  the 
actors,  plainly  felt  that  realism  is  not  always 
cheerful  art.  A painted  background,  unless 
excellenthr  done,  has  something  of  the  same 
effect  on  the  artistic  feelings,  the  incongruity 
is  palpable.  But  if  ever  painted  backgrounds 
were  allowable  they  would  be  such  simple  ones 
as  those  in  Sir  Joshua’s  pictures,  and  especially 
in  those  of  his  children. 

I may  as  well  take  this  opportunity  of  say- 
ing that  I cannot  tell  you  much  you  do  not 


30 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


appear  to  know  and  practise  in  child  portrait- 
ure. If  I,  who  only  see  that  of  your  work 
which  comes  over  here,  may  presume  to  say  so, 
American  photographers  are  to  be  congratulat- 
ed on  their  portraits  of  children.  It  is  better 
as  a rule,  than  we  do  here. 

If  we  admit  the  artificial,  there  are  ways  of 
combining  natural  objects  wffth  painted  ones 
that,  however  they  may  be  very  properly  con- 
demned in  an  exhibition  of  true  photography, 
would,  nevertheless,  make  pleasing  pictures.  I 
mean  combining  a real  foreground,  ‘ ‘ all  agrow- 
ing and  ablowing,”  on  a platform  in  the  studio 
backed  by  a painted  landscape.  A picturesque 
foreground  may  be  made  upon  a platform  of 
rocks,  logs  of  wood,  tufts  of  grass,  ferns;  heath 
and  wild  flowers,  which  could  easily  be  kept 
growing  and  in  good  condition  by  a little  atten- 
tion. Care  should  be  taken  to  use  a background 
without  linear  perspective,  and  that  the  light 
falls  on  the  figure  from  the  same  direction  as  it 
appears  to  do  on  the  painted  screen.  The  plat- 
form may  be  placed  on  castors  or  small  wheels 
for  the  convenience  of  rolling  it  about  the  studio. 
Of  course  in  this  kind  of  picture  the  ( delicate 
refinements  of  art  must  not  be  expected.  It  is 
not  possible,  for  example,  to  light  a figure  in  a 
studio  exactly  as  it  appears  out-of-doors.  A still 
better  effect  is  produced  if,  instead  of  the  painted 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO.  31 

screen,  a suitable  background  is  added  from 
nature  by  double  printing.  This  is  easily  done. 
The  background  behind  the  figure  for  this  pur- 
pose should  be  plain  white,  or  with  a very  slight 
darkening  delicately  gradated  towards  the 
bottom,  or  it  should  be  stopped  out  with  black 
varnish,  which  method,  however,  should  be 
avoided  if  possible,  it  being  difficult  to  prevent 
a hard,  cut-out  effect.  As  I intend  to  have  a 
chapter  on  combination  printing  I need  not  pur- 
sue the  subject  further  at  present. 

There  is  a class  of  fancy  subject  which  may 
be  carried  out  without  any  great  impropriety, 
although  it  borders  on  the  kind  I have  denounc- 
ed as  not  proper  to  our  art.  This  class  is  repre- 
sented in  the  frontispiece,  which  is  from  a 
photograph  by  my  son,  Ralph  W.  Robinson.  I 
have  selected  it  because  it  comes  nearest  to 
some  of  the  Elaine  pictures  of  last  year,  and 
yet,  I think,  does  not  shock  our  sense  of  fitness 
as  some  of  them  do.  It  does  not  pretend  to 
say  much,  therefore  there  is  no  glaring  viola- 
tion of  truth  ; there  is  no  anachronism  because 
it  does  not  pretend  to  represent  any  period  or 
any  country  ; there  is  no  departure  from  his- 
torical accuracy  because  it  does  not  pretend  to 
be  an  historical  event.  It  is  just  a ‘"subject” 
used  as  a vehicle  for  the  expression  of  a sense 
of  beauty  in  line  and  tone.  It  represents  a girl 


32 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


of  our  own  time  polishing  a shield,  but  it  is,  I 
think,  as  near  the  realization  of  an  abstraction  as 
we  can  get  with  our  realistic  materials.  It  may 
be  of  to-day  or  of  any  time,  but  it  does  not  ask 
you  to  believe  that  it  is  of  any  other  time  than  the 
present.  There  is  a name  given  to  the  picture 
— Medora — but  that  is  only  to  distinguish  it 
from  others.  The  name  may  mean  anything 
or  nothing,  yet  I think  it  is  a mistake.  It  is 
not  Conrad’s  “Medora” — he  did  not  possess  a 
shield  for  her  to  polish — but  that  is  the  unfort- 
unate young  person  the  name  suggests  to  the 
ordinary  reader  of  poetry.  The  subject  is,  as  I 
have  said,  simply  a convenient  vehicle  for 
beauty  of  line  and  effect,  and  such  subjects  I 
hold  are  lawful  in  our  art.  The  figure  has  the 
serious  fault  of  being  too  large  for  the  space,  and, 
like  photographs  taken  with  a very  long  focus 
lens  giving  a narrow  angle,  seems  to  have  been 
cut  out  of  the  centre  of  a picture. 

In  all  methods  which  allow  an  artist  liberty 
there  are  possibilities  of  going  wrong,  and  there- 
fore more  openings  afforded  for  the  abuse 
of  the  enemy  as  well  as  the  inamadversion 
of  friends.  Neither  combination  printing  nor 
the  production  of  subject  pictures  should  be 
undertaken  without  something  more  than  a 
superficial  knowledge  of  nature.  In  art  a little 
knowledge  is  a dangerous  thing  ; in  critics  it  is 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


33 


want  of  knowledge  that  leads  to  so  much  intoler- 
ance in  art.  Leslie  said  that  ‘‘those  who  are 
best  acquainted  with  nature  are  always  the  most 
ready  to  tolerate  the  faults  of  great  masters,” 
and  the  superficial  are  not  always  able  to  see  that 


“ The  light  that  led  astray 
Was  light  from  Heaven.” 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Printing. 

Some  time  ago  I had  a packet  of  photographs 
sent  to  me  to  judge  for  a provincial  exhibition. 
Among  them  were  two  prints  which  at  first 
glance  appeared  to  be  exactly  alike,  but  at  a 
second  look  the  one  appeared  much  better  than 
the  other.  A still  closer  inspection  showed  that 
an  additional  figure  had  been  added  to  the  group. 
The  one  print  represented  a group  of  three 
picturesque  little  boys  drinking  from  their 
hands  at  a well.  The  motive  was  admirable, 
the  figures  intent  on  what  they  were  doing  and 
forgetting  the  camera,  but  the  experienced  eye 
at  once  felt  that  there  was  something  wanting, 
a vacancy,  a “ space  to  let,”  in  the  picture.  By 
no  means  a model  picture  except  in  a feeble 
class.  The  second  print  had  been  taken  from 
the  same  negative,  but  what  a difference ! A 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


35 


fourth  boy  had  been  unobtrusively  added,  and 
the  group  was  complete,  soul-satisfying,  perfect. 
There  were  no  other  contributions  to  the  class 
and  therefore  no  competition,  but  I had  no 
hesitation  in  recommending  it  for  the  highest 
award. 

The  combination  was  so  perfect  that  the 
present  writer,  an  old  hand  at  this  kind  of  work, 
was  not  certain  how  it  was  done,  and  wrote  to 
the  artist  for  information.  He  received  the 
reply,  with  many  undeserved  compliments,  that 
it  was  all  to  be  found  in  his  own  writings.  But  the 
photographer  had  “bettered  the  instruction,” 
and  I was  glad  to  see  the  method  carried  so  far 
as  to  puzzle  myself,  and  confess  that  I should 
like  to  have  to  wonder  oftener. 

Combination  printing  is  useful  to  the  picture 
maker  both  inside  and  outside  of  the  studio, 
and  in  this  chapter  I shall  not  confine  myself 
entirely  in-doors. 

The  time  is  gone  by  when  any  apology  is 
necessary  for  this  method  of  printing,  although 
it  has  been  fiercely  attacked  in  the  past,  and 
even  now  gets  a few  feeble  kicks — for  the  sake 
of  consistency,  perhaps — from  those  who  have 
ceased  to  disbelieve  in,  and  sometimes  use  it. 

Before  we  go  into  practical  details  it  may  be 
worth  while  to  enumerate  some  of  its  uses  and 
advantages. 


36  PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 

It  enables  the  photographer  to  do  what 
would  otherwise  be  impossible. 

It  has  banished  blank  white  skies  from  Eng- 
lish photographs,  and  will,  I hope,  dismiss  them 
from  all  landscape  photographs  as  knowledge 
of  nature  increases,  and  the  love  of  art  spreads. 

It  enables  the  landscape  photographer  to 
correct  the  errors  of  nature  by  giving  him  some 
command  over  composition.  There  are  those 
who  insist  that  “nature  cannot  err,”  but  that 
is  simply  a plausible  saying  not  in  the  least  un- 
derstood by  those  who  superficially  use  it,  and 
is,  like  many  of  our  proverbs,  which  are 
supposed  to  be  the  essence  of  truth,  very  mis- 
leading. The  artist  must  look  upon  nature  as 
his  raw  material  for  making  pictures.  She  is 
not  an  artist  herself  ; she  never  selects,  never 
composes.  Art,  on  the  contrary,  selects,  re- 
strains, composes,  is  emphatic  or  reticent ; 
while  the  prodigality  and  carelessness  of  nature 
is  evident.  Nature  is  always  lovely,  and  yet 
careless  about  her  looks.  It  is  the  province  of 
the  artist  to  condense  her  and  make  her  pre- 
sentable. Nature  does  not  always  choose  the 
best  sky  as  a background  to  set  forth  her 
charms  ; the  skilful  photographer  can  select  a 
sky  which,  while  being  perfectly  natural,  will 
agree  in  line  and  tone  with  the  landscape,  im- 
prove the  general  effect,  and  convince  the  behold- 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


37 


er  that  the  work  was  the  result  of  skill  instead  of 
accident.  Then  what  is  nature  ? Is  it  telegraph 
poles,  telephone  wires,  factory  chimneys?  Na- 
ture does  not  care  how  these  ugly  evidences 
of  civilization  cut  across  her  skies:  the  photog- 
rapher, if  he  is  an  artist,  does. 

It  enables  the  photographer  to  correct  the 
difficulties  of  focus.  The  eye  adapts  itself  in- 
stantaneously to  all  planes  so  that  to  the  healthy 
eye  all  nature  is  practically  in  focus  at  once. 
There  are  reasons  why  we  have  to  dodge  this  a 
little  in  art,  and  usually  slightly  favor  the  fore- 
ground, but  there  are  cases  in  which  no  amount 
of  excusing  the  shortcomings  of  the  fixed  lens 
(which,  unlike  the  eye,  has  no  muscles  of  ac- 
commodation) will  do.  If,  for  instance,  the 
photographer  wishes  to  take  a group  of  large 
figures  with  a landscape  background — a favorite 
class  of  subjects  with  painters  and  one  becom- 
ing increasingly  popular  with  photographers — 
he  finds  that  if  his  figures  are  in  focus  his  dis- 
tance is  blurred  beyond  recognition.  Now  no 
conscientious  artist  can  stand  this.  His  way 
out  is  through  combination  printing,  which 
allows  him  to  pay  separate  attention  to  the  sepa- 
rate planes. 

It  often  happens,  even  in  these  sharp-shoot- 
ing days,  that  part  of  a group  taken  in  a studio 
requires  undivided  attention.  The  baby  or  the 


3« 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


dog  is  often  the  weak  link  in  the  chain,  and 
may  be  photographed  separately  and  added  to 
the  group. 

It  would  be  of  little  service  to  go  on  piling 
up  further  instances  of  the  use  of  this  method 
of  printing,  let  it  be  sufficient  to  say  that  it  en- 
larges the  limits  of  the  art;  and  is  the  only 
means  of  getting  many  subjects  that  would 
otherwise  be  impossible  in  photography. 

I may,  perhaps,  also  be  allowed  to  add  that  it 
is  a splendid  thing  for  the  critic  (who  ought  to 
be  more  grateful  than  he  is)  when  ‘ ‘ gravelled 
for  lack  of  matter.”  It  gives  him  the  specula- 
tive chance  of  saying  the  lighting  is  all  wrong 
without  the  photographer  having  a good  dem- 
onstrative reply,  except,  indeed,  the  critic  mis- 
takes, as  he  has  been  known  to  do,  a single-plate 
picture  for  a combination,  and  then  the  combi- 
nation printer  gets  his  opportunity.  And  so 
the  world  goes  round. 

I will  now  endeavor  to  give  a few  simple  di- 
rections for  the  management  of  a few  simple 
subjects,  and  after  he  has  accomplished  these 
the  operator  will  find  the  method  easily  adapt- 
able in  many  ways. 

The  principle  of  combination  printing  is 
easily  stated.  It  is  the  printing  of  as  much 
only  as  is  required  from  several  negatives  on 
one  sheet  of  paper. 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


39 


The  simplest  form  is  that  by  which  a sky  is 
added  to  a landscape.  This  is  now  almost  uni- 
versally practised,  but  as  a rule  much  more 
trouble* is  taken  with  it  than  is  necessary.  An 
exact  mask  is  sometimes  made  of  the  landscape 
and  laid  on  the  sk}T.  This  method  produces  a 
hard  line,  and  is  not  so  effective  as  vignetting. 

The  landscape  negative  should  have  a dense 
sky.  If  not  sufficiently  opaque  to  leave  the 
paper  white  when  the  foreground  is  printed  it 
must  be  stopped  out.  This  is  best  done  with 
black  varnish.  The  varnish  should  be  applied 
at  the  back  of  the  plate,  thus  securing  a softer 
edge.  It  may  be  applied  with  a brush  close  up 
to  objects  with  definite  edges,  and  used  more 
loosely  round  the  edges  of  such  objects  as  trees. 
The  finger  will  be  useful  in  dabbing  the  pig- 
ment in  a vignetting  manner  into  difficult 
places,  and  sometimes  large  spaces  may  be  left 
to  mingle  with  the  clouds,  but  this  requires 
great  judgment.  It  is  not  always  necessary  to 
stop  out  small  spaces  between  branches,  as  they 
usually  develop  more  densely  than  broad  ex- 
panses. Sometimes  a thin  film  of  color  is  re- 
quired to  slightly  lighten  a passage  vignetted 
at  the  edges;  this  is  easily  accomplished  by  di- 
luting the  varnish  with  turpentine,  and  equal- 
izing and  softening  off  with  a badger-hair  brush, 
such  as  is'  used  by  painters  for  softening  skies. 


4° 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


When  a print  is  taken  the  sky  space  will,  of 
course,  be  plain  white.  Now  take  a suitable 
cloud  negative,  and  in  the  printing  adjust  the 
print  so  that  it  shall  fall  in  its  proper  place,  and 
expose  to  light.  During  exposure  the  landscape 
part  should  be  covered  by  black  velvet  or  a 
suitable  mask.  This  mask  must  not  be  cut  to 
fit  the  outlines  of  the  landscape,  a mistake 
often  made,  and  the  result  leads  to  instant  de- 
tection. The  mask  should  be  moved  during 
printing  so  as  to  gently  vignette  the  sky  into  the 
view. 

Care  should  be  taken  that  the  sky  is  not 
printed  so  dark  as  to  appear  to  come  in  front  of 
the  landscape — a common  fault — or  that  dark 
portions  of  clouds  come  over  light  passages  in 
the  landscape,  such  as  distant  hills.  Light 
portions  of  sky  may  be  printed  over  dark  parts 
with  impunity. 

The  sky  negative  used  should  be  very  thin. 
If  it  is  a strong  sky  the  shadows  of  the  clouds 
should  be  transparent.  They  are  best  taken  on 
slow  plates ; those  used  for  transparencies  are 
very  good,  the  exposure  from  half  a second  at 
midday  to  two  or  three  seconds  for  stormy  sun- 
sets. I have  been  using  lately  slow  isochro- 
matic  plates  exposed  through  a yellow  screen, 
and  find  them  excellent.  I seldom  recommend 
anything  but  pyro  as  a developer,  but  for  skies 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


41 


I prefer  hydroquinone,  for  just  the  quality  that 
makes  this  developer  less  useful  for  landscapes 
and  portraiture,  hardness. 

Of  course  this  method  is  open  to  abuses. 
A sky  may  be  selected  out  of  all  harmony  and 
truth  with  the  landscape,  but  if  the  photogra- 
pher will  be  absurd  let  the  punishment  fall  on 
his  own  head  and  not  on  the  process. 

Another  example,  easy  to  understand,  will 
be  that  of  a three-quarter  figure  with  a natural 
landscape  distance.  The  figure  should  be  taken 
before  a white  background,  or  all  but  the  figure 
should  be  stopped  out  with  black  varnish,  keep- 
ing the  edges  as  soft  as  possible,  and  a print 
taken  on  matt  paper.  Albumenized  may  be 
used,  but  is  less  manageable.  The  figure  now 
should  be  carefully  cut  out  and  laid  on  its 
place  on  the  landscape  negative.  This  will 
stop  out  all  of  it  that  is  not  required.  A print 
should  now  be  made  of  the  figure  and  after- 
wards carefully  adjusted  on  the  landscape,  tak- 
ing care  that  the  printed  figure  falls  exactly 
on  the  mask.  This  is  not  so  difficult  to  do 
as  may  appear  to  the  reader,  and  if  large 
numbers  are  required  register  marks  may  be 
made  on  the  corners  of  the  plates,  enabling 
the  printer  to  make  the  adjustment  without 
trouble. 

The  artistic  effect  will  be  greatly  increased 


42 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


if  the  landscape  negative  is  very  slightly  out  of 
focus. 

When  the  first  print  comes  off  it  should  be 
carefully  inspected,  and  the  joinings  may  be 
greatly  improved  by  cutting  away  portions  of 
the  mask,  in  dark  parts  and  substituting  varnish 
on  the  back.  This  is  especialty  useful  where  a 
light  bit  of  background  comes  behind  a dark 
portion  of  the  figure. 

Excellent  effects  may  be  produced  by  pho- 
tographing a full-length  figure  standing  on  a 
suitable  foreground  and  adding  a landscape. 

To  make  a very  small  addition  to  a picture, 
or  to  work  out  a large  group  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  play  variations  on  the  very  simple 
method  just  described.  In  making  a large 
group  as  many  figures  as  possible  should  be  ob- 
tained on  each  negative,  and  the  positions  of 
the  joinings  so  contrived  that  they  shall  be  least 
noticed.  The  skilful  combination  printer  will 
often  deceive  the  eye  of  an  expert,  and  lead  him 
to  look  in  the  wrong  place  for  the  line  of  junc- 
tion. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Business  of  Portrait  Photography. 

At  the  beginning  of  a new  }^ear  it  may  be 
worth  while  inquiring  how  we  now  stand.  To 
begin  wflth  : How  is  business?  If  we  are  to  be- 
lieve the  pessimists,  professional  photography 
has  been  going  to  the  dogs  for  many  years,  for 
so  long  a time,  in  fact,  that  it  seems  to  be  a 
very  slow  process,  and  portraiture  still  flourishes. 

It  is  usual  to  explain  the  falling  away  of 
photography  as  a trade  by  saying  that  luxuries 
have  to  be  given  up  before  necessaries,  and 
that  photographs  are  luxuries  ; yet  those  who 
are  fond  of  dark  sayings  hold  that  at  this  end 
of  the  century  our  chiefest  necessaries  are  our 
luxuries. 

However  that  may  be,  or  whether  photo- 
graphs are  a necessity  or  a luxury,  it  is  certain- 
ly true  that  more  photographs  are  produced 
than  ever.  Unfortunately  the  doers  have  in- 


44 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


creased  out  of  all  proportion.  In  America,  if 
we  may  believe  little  hints  of  evidence,  the 
business  is  still  very  good.  Several  of  your 
periodicals  sometimes  publish  photographs  sent 
them  by  portraitists,  and  in  giving  q n account 
of  their  pictures  they  often  excuse  their  short- 
comings by  saying  something  to  this  effect : 
‘ ‘ She  willingly  consented  to  pose  for  me,  and  in 
a very  short  time  I had  secured  the  negatives  re- 
quired. There  were  many  people  waiting  for 
sittings , and  I had  not  time  to  give  the  matter 
special  study.” 

It  would  interest  English  photographers  to 
hear  if  this  is  so  always  with  you.  Are  your 
waiting-rooms  always  full  of  expectant  sitters  ? 
Our  photographers  either  make  their  appoint- 
ments better,  or  their  business  has  fallen  away, 
for  it  is  very  rare  to  find  more  than  one  or  two 
sitters  waiting.  That  merry  time  has  gone  by. 
The  real  danger  to  photography  as  a high-class 
business  is  the  increasing  ease  of  a process 
which,  for  ordinary  work,  does  not  require 
more  skill  than  is  looked  for  in  any  other  trade, 
and  the  push  for  business  seems  likely  to  make 
it  forgotten  as  an  art  altogether. 

It  has  been  the  fashion  here  to  attribute  all 
of  our  misfortunes  to  the  spread  of  amateur 
photography.  I have  never  held  this  view,  and 
I notice  a phase  in  amateur  trading — for  they 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


45 


do  trade — that  will  be  distinctly  good  for  pro- 
fessional photographers,  and  indeed  will  do 
somewhat  to  save  them  from  themselves.  Com- 
petition in  the  profession  has  reduced  prices  un- 
til there  are  photographers  who  will  take  your 
portrait  for  nothing  on  the  chance  of  selling 
you  a frame.  This  is,  of  course,  one  of  the 
agreeable  swindles  to  which  an  innocent  art 
has  given  birth,  but  there  it  is,  and  there  are 
others  almost  as  bad.  Some  of  our  amateurs 
are  going  on  the  other  tack  and  asking,  and  get- 
ting, large  prices  for  their  work.  Little  ac- 
count has  been  taken  of  late  years  of  the 
artistic  value  of  a photograph  other  than  a 
portrait,  and  the  price  is  usually  decided  by 
the  size.  Twenty-five  cents  for  instance,  is 
considered  good  value  for  a io  x 8 landscape. 
But  at  least  one  of  our  amateurs  now  sells  his 
prints  of  this  size  at  $5.00  each,  and,  more- 
over, finds  customers.  I cannot  help  thinking 
that  instead  of  damaging  the  trade  this  worthy 
amateur  is  one  of  its  greatest  benefactors,  for  it 
is  admitted  by  all  that  plenty  of  good  photog- 
raph}^ is  done,  and  that  all  that  is  the  matter  is  the 
small  amount  paid  for  it.  If  the  public  could 
only  be  taught  that  they  must  pay  for  quality 
as  well  as  quantity,  quality  would  be  more 
worth  producing  and  all  would  be  well.  And, 
peradventure,  a curiously  unexpected  result 


46 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


may  occur,  as  suggested  in  the  words  of  an  old 
professional  friend,  who  said  the  other  day 
that  he  was  about  to  turn  amateur,  so  that  he 
may  be  able  to  sell  his  pictures  better ! I am 
glad  to  say  I notice  a decided  tendency  in  the 
best  portraitists  to  raise  their  prices,  while 
common  work,  on  the  other  hand,  is  cheaper 
than  ever. 

A great  change  has  come  over  photographic 
printing,  and  this  has  afforded  an  opportunity 
— or  rather  a good  excuse — for  portraitists  to 
raise  their  prices.  Years  ago,  in  the  preface  to 
a little  book  on  “Silver  Printing/’  I said  that 
silver  printing  had  been  often  doomed,  but  it 
still  survived.  It  survives  still,  but  in  a differ- 
ent form.  The  use  of  albumenized  paper  is 
dying  out.  If  it  were  not  for  the  obvious  pun, 
I should  say  that  the  dyeing  due  to  the  makers 
has  had  a great  deal  to  do  with  its  death.  The 
pearly  tints  of  the  dyes  used  at  first  to  counter- 
act the  yellowing  of  the  paper  were  ‘ ‘ improved  ” 
; into  hideous  mauves  and  pinks,  the  vulgarity 
of  which  could  not  last.  Good  things  are  often 
improved  off  the  face  of  the  earth  for  no  other 
reason  than  for  the  sake  of  change.  The  place 
of  albumenized  paper  has  been  partly  taken  by 
another  form  of  silver  printing,  and  nearly  all 
the  best  photographers,  when  they  do  not  use 
platinotype,  make  their  portraits  on  matt  paper, 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


47 


toned  with  platinum,  and  in  exhibitions  silver 
printing  in  albumen  is  one  of  the  lost  arts.  It 
still  survives,  however,  in  the  production  of 
cheap  photographs,  and  for  typographical 
work,  when  that  work  is  not  done  by  a still 
cheaper  mechanical  process. 

Professionals  suffer  from  cut-throat  com- 
petition and  the.amateurs  have  their  own  violent 
rivalries.  One  form  of  the  disease,  with  the 
latter,  is  the  great  craze  for  medals.  I don’t 
think  they  care  much  for  the  quality  of  them, 
either  in  the  die-sinking  or  the  metal.  Gold, 
silver,  or  bronze,  the}^  all  count.  Neither  do 
the}r  care  for  the  quality  of  their  opponents  in 
the  competitions:  the  easier  the  victory  the  bet- 
ter. 

A medal  taken  at  a local  Little  Pedlington 
Exhibition  is  shown  and  worshipped  as  much  as 
if  it  had  been  won  in  fair  fight  against  all  the 
talent  of  the  Kingdom.  Speaking  of  medals  re- 
minds me  of  a curious  discovery  as  to  the  in- 
trinsic value  of  some  of  them  awarded  in  such 
profusion,  which  was  made  the  other  day  by 
one  of  our  amateurs.  One  day  he  wanted  some 
silver  nitrate  in  a hurry,  and  the  nearest  town 
was  several  miles  away.  Like  Bernard  Palissy, 
when  he  sacrificed  his  wife’s  wedding  ring  as  a 
last  resource  in  his  experiments,  he  dissolved 
one  of  his  silver  medals — and  found  it  contain- 


48 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


ed  a few  pence-worth  only  of  silver,  the  rest 
was  alloy. 

There  is  one  matter  in  which  we  are  certainly 
improving  in  the  Old  Country.  W e are  decreas- 
ing the  amount  of  retouching  and  increasing 
the  quality  of  the  little  that  is  necessary.  In 
the  last  London  Exhibition — the  worst  we  have 
had  in  some  respects — it  was  delightful  to  see 
how  glaringly  dreadful  some  few  conspicuous 
examples  of  what  to  avoid  in  retouching — the 
billiard-ball  polish — looked  in  comparison  with 
others  in  which  the  reticence  of  nature  had 
been  observed.  The  abuse  of  retouching  is  a 
fine  example  of  a good  thing  gone  wrong,  and 
drives  teachers  to  despair.  It  was  an  excellent 
corrective  as  at  first  used.  There  are,  no  doubt, 
defects  of  nature  and  the  process  combined 
which  require  removing,  but  when  nature  is 
refined  off  the  face  of  mankind  it  is  enough  to 
make  those  who  introduce  a useful  process  tear 
their  hair  and  sit  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  It  did 
me  good  to  read  Mr.  W.  H.  Sherman’s  vigor- 
ous attack  on  retouching  in  the  first  number  of 
The  Photographic  Times  for  the  year.  In  this 
I think  the  writer  incidentally  shows  the  cause 
of  much  of  the  bad  work  that  disgraces  our  art. 
He  describes  a vulgarly  over-retouched  cabinet 
picture,  and  quotes  the  back  of  the  mount,  dec- 
orated of  course  with  the  palette  and  brushes 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


49 


which  the  “proprietor”  would  not  know  how 
to  use,  together  with  the  name  of  the  “artist,” 
finishing  with  this  significant  line : " Branches 
in  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  Union/'  This 
explains  it.  Much  over-praised  “enterprise” 
takes  the  place  of  art.  How  could  this  ‘ ‘ art- 
photographist  ” be  in  many  places  at  the  same 
time  ? He  is  not  a bird  ! Great  artists  are  in- 
dividuals, not  companies.  An  artist  is  a person 
who  does  a certain  kind  of  work,  and  it  seems 
ridiculous  to  point  out  that  the  same  person 
can  be  exercising  his  calling  at  one  time  in 
“all  the  principal  cities  in  the  Union.”  Art  is 
the  expression  of  a man’s  mind,  and  until  it  is 
recognized  that  it  is  the  man , and  not  the  system , 
that  does  the  work,  we  cannot  expect  individu- 
ality or  art.  And  in  the  matter  of  retouching 
we  seldom  find  common  sense. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  CHAPTER. 

Individuality  in  Photography. 

In  a number  of  Blackwood' s Magazine  an 
ingenious  writer  tries  to  show  that  the  one 
thing  more  than  another  that  now  represents 
primitive  man  is  the  batty,  and  that  the  nine- 
teenth century  British  baby  differs  very  little 
from  the  savage  child  of,  let  us  say  a couple  of 
hundred  thousand  }^ears  ago,  for  the  baby  is 
nearly  a quadruped,  and  is  a reckless  creature 
devoid  of  conscience.  It  is,  perhaps,  a knowl- 
edge of  the  fact  that  babies  are  all  alike  that  en- 
ables photographers,  as  it  is  libellously  said,  to 
make  the  negative  of  one  of  the  species  satisfy 
the  yearnings  of  many  mothers.  Now,  photog- 
raphy certainly  somewhat  resembles  this  view 
of  the  human  race  in  the  respect  that  its  im- 
mature productions  are  all  alike,  and  it  is  not 
until  they  grow  up  and  acquire  a conscience  or 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


5 1 


soul  that  they  differentiate  and  show  individu- 
ality. 

Of  the  immature  there  is  no  end,  but  a wise 
and  invariable  provision  of  nature  checks  over- 
production. Nature  is  always  wise,  but  has  no 
mercy  : 

“ So  careful  of  the  type  she  seems, 

So  careless  of  the  single  life 

and,  seeing  that  the  world  would  be  overwhelm- 
ed by  immature  photographs,  she  sent  beneficent 
fading  to  destroy  them  (always,  as  in  other  de- 
partments of  nature,  “so  careful  of  the  type,” 
sparing  a few)  until  the  art  grew  old  enough  to 
possess  a soul  or  conscience,  and  then  per- 
manent methods  were  given  to  us  ; and  even 
now  we  sometimes  feel  inclined  to  paraphrase 
the  wisdom  of  Mr.  Whistler,  and  say  modern 
photographs  do  not  fade,  and  “therein  lies  their 
deep  damnation.  ’ This  wonderful  preservation 
of  a few  in  all  their  pristine  freshness  is  sugges- 
tive of  a special  providence,  for  according  to 
the  scientists,  who  are,  of  course,  always  right, 
like  methods  should  produce  like  results,  and 
not  one  of  the  old  prints  should  have  escaped. 

Now,  evidence  of  soul  or  conscience  in  a 
picture  is  art.  Yet  there  are  those  who  will  not 
recognize  that  we  have  a soul,  but,  like  Mr. 
Gilbert’s  mechanical  figures  m the  Mounte- 
banks, are  only  stuffed  full  of  badly  made 


52 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


machinery  that  sometimes  runs  down,  and  al- 
ways moves  with  a jerk  ; and  I am  not  sure  we 
are  not  suspected  of  trying  to  adopt  the  “put  a 
penny  in  the  slot”  business  to  the  fine  arts. 

It  is  a favorite  reproach  with  the  oppon- 
ents of  photography  as  a picture-maker  that  its 
results  are  all  alike  ; it  is  one  of  the  triumphant 
proofs  of  those  who  will  not  admit  that  photog- 
raphy is  an  art  that  the  unthinking  machine 
makes  all  its  products  to  the  same  pattern  ; that 
there  is  no  intrinsic  evidence  in  any  photograph 
of  its  maker.  They  will  no  more  believe  the 
plainest  evidence  to  the  contrary  than  those  of 
old  would  believe  the  angels.  They  say  we  are 
mechanical,  and  it  is  of  no  use  pointing  out 
that  this  wild  assertion  is  obviously  untrue;  we 
hear  it  over  and  over  again,  sometimes  from 
one  who  knows  that  it  is  not  true,  at  others 
from  those  who  are  simply  ignorant  and  can- 
not learn.  These  latter  are  to  be  pitied.  Then 
there  are  those  whose  purpose  it  serves  to  deny ; 
and,  worst  of  all,  those  who  have  tried,  and  al- 
tered their  faith  because  they  failed,  those  who, 
as  the  poet  says,  “ fade  away,  and  dying  damn.” 
To  the  credit  of  photographers  there  have  been 
very  few  of  these;  however,  we  have  lately  had 
an  exhibition  of  one  of  them.  A most  enthusi- 
astic defender  of  photography  as  an  art  of  a 
few  years  ago,  but  who,  perhaps,  failed  to  prove 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


53 


it  in  his  works,  was  politely  asked  to  contribute 
to  a recent  exhibition,  and  is  reported  to  have 
replied  as  follows— it  is  a lesson  on  the  mutability 
of  things  to  compare  this  letter  with  his  former 
opinions : “I  am  fully  persuaded  that  photogra- 
phy is  not  art  nor  can  be,  and  to  encourage  exhi- 
bitions is  to  lead  a lot  of  vain  people  to  waste 
their  time  in  the  practice  of  a useless  and  vain 
pursuit.” 

It  has  no  effect  with  the  prejudiced  critic  to 
point  out,  that  if  different  minds  using  the 
same  machines  produced  like  results  invaria- 
bly, as  machines  are  expected  to  do,  any  one  of 
them  who  understood  the  machine  ought  to  be 
able  to  turn  out  a series  of  masterpieces  equal 
to  the  best  that  have  ever  been  produced,  al- 
ways providing,  of  course,  that  one  machine 
was  as  good  and  as  well  brass-bound  and 
French-polished  as  the  other.  Yet  they  con- 
tinue to  object  and  this  is  one  of  the  latest 
utterances  of  science:  “ The  picture  painted  by 
the  artist  is  a transcript  of  his  own  emotions, 
but  a photograph  is  not  a reflex  of  human 
emotions  at  all — unless,  indeed,  accidently  so — 
but  is  a direct  reproduction  of  nature,  and  only 
through  science  the  offspring  of  man.”  We 
must  be  grateful  to  the  writer  for  allowing  us 
the  accident. 

I am  quite  ready  to  confess  that  up  to  a 


54 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


certain  point,  and  in  the  hands  of  the  ninety 
per  cent,  of  the  followers  of  the  art  who  are 
not  artists,  the  photograph  is  in  the  process; 
but  with  others  the  picture  is  in  the  man  (as  in 
painting,  only  in  a less  degree,  and  as  far  as  the 
materials  will  allow).  The  process  takes  a ver}7 
subordinate  place,  and  is  dominated  by  the  taste, 
thought,  and  feeling  of  the  artist,  when  an 
artist  uses  it  with  what  may  be  fairly  called 
emotional  results.  Who  has  not  laughed  with 
many  of  Rejlander’s  characteristic  heads,  or 
wept — yes,  I have  seen  even  that  emotional  re- 
sult produced  by  a photograph  (which  was  not 
an  accident),  and  it  is  an  important  part  of  my 
argument  that  all  these  emotions  arose  first  in 
the  mind  of  the  photographer,  and  would  never 
have  been  originated  by  the  same  models  in  the 
hands  of  another  photographer. 

Of  all  the  attempts  made  to  prove  that  pho- 
tography was  not  an  art,  and  which  would  have 
most  force,  if  proved,  would  be  that  it  showed 
no  evidence  of  individuality;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  if  the  possession  of  that  quality  were 
proved,  it  would  be  one  of  the  strongest  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  the  admission  of  photography 
to  the  brotherhood  of  art,  for  individuality  in 
its  products  necessarily  implies  the  operation  of 
a directing  mind  behind  the  “soulless  camera.” 

The  latest  of  the  many  attempts  to  define 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


55 


the  meaning  of  the  word  “art”  is  a very  re- 
markable one.  It  is  said  to  be  “the  apparent 
disproportion  between  the  means  employed  and 
the  end  obtained.”  And,  as  an  illustration,  the 
following  explanation  is  given,  at  which,  I 
think,  many  a practical  photographer  will  smile : 
“Admit,  for  argument's  sake,  that  a photo- 
graph reproduces  with  a fidelity  far  beyond 
anything  that  the  hand  of  man  can  attain  to, 
it  must  still  be  allowed  that  the  means  used  to 
attain  this  end  are  infinitely  more  complicated 
than  a few  hairs  tied  to  a stick  which  the  artist 
uses.  Indeed,  it  might  be  argued  that,  if  art 
is  the  apparent  disproportion  between  means 
and  end,  photography  is  not  art  at  all,  but 
science.  There  is  no  art  on  the  part  of  the  lens 
when  it  produces  its  images;  it  does  so  strictly 
in  accordance  with  natural  laws.  The  develop- 
er acts  as  thoughtlessly  as  any  other  chemical  ex- 
periment, and  these  are  the  chief  factors  in 
every  photograph.  It  is  true,  you  have  one 
small  part  to  play — you  must  have  the  art  of 
exposing  properly;  but  even  here  a few  shillings 
will  purchase  for  you  a machine  to  do  even 
this.  I do  not  admit  art  in  development.  Art 
in  development  is  only  called  in  when  the  ex- 
posure is  made  without  art,  and,  as  I have  al- 
lowed art  in  exposure,  I cannot  allow  it  here 
again.  With  such  an  infinitesimal  part  of  the 


56  PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 

picture  the  outcome  of  art,  is  it  honest  to  call  a 
photograph  a work  of  art?”  This  curious  ex- 
ample of  scientific  knowledge  of  art  is  by  Dr. 
J.  K.  Tulloch,  of  Dundee,  and  was  written  in  the 
present  century.  Are  we  to  understand  from 
this  singular  piece  of  reasoning  that  painting  is 
an  art  because  the  painter  uses  “a  few  hairs 
tied  to  a stick”?  and  does  the  writer  suppose 
that  we  claim  photography  as  an  art  because  of 
its  fidelity — that  heritage  of  the  youngest  am- 
ateur ? 

Some  writers  get  confused  between  degree 
and  kind.  In  an  article  in  the  Magazine  of 
Art,  a certain  writer,  who  was  once  a photog- 
rapher, endeavors  to  show  that  photography 
cannot  become  art,  because  its  individuality  is 
limited.  That  it  is  more  limited  than  painting 
has  always  been  admitted — we  cannot  get  so 
far  away  from  the  truth  as  is  the  painter’s  priv- 
ilege— but  it  is  also  admitted  that  all  methods 
of  art  are  more  or  less  limited,  and  the  amount 
of  limitation  is  only  a matter  of  degree,  not  of 
kind.  The  limitations  add  to  the  difficulty, 
but  do  not  alter  the  status. 

Let  us  run  back  a little  and  see  if  we  can 
find  a few  workers,  whose  results  are  totally 
different  from  those  of  their  contemporaries, 
and  this  invariably.  One  of  the  earliest  pho- 
tographers to  show  genuine  art  feeling  in  his 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


57 


work  was  Rejlander.  He  died  sixteen  or  seven- 
teen years  ago ; yet,  among  many  thousands  of 
photographs,  it  does  not  require  much  ex- 
perience to  recognize  a Rejlander.  There  was 
nothing  in  the  manipulation  to  distinguish 
them  except,  perhaps,  carelessness.  It  was  the 
mind  of  the  man  that  was  visible;  you  recognize 
the  man  beyond  the  process.  There  are  still 
those  living  who  can  say,  on  looking  at  a col- 
lection of  old  photographs,  “This  is  a Francis 
Bedford,  a Dr.  Diamond,  a Fenton,  a Delamotte, 
a Le  Gray,  or  Silvy,  a Wynfield  or  a Mrs. 
Cameron,”  certainly  quite  as  accurately  as  an 
expert  in  painting  would  say,  4 'This  is  a Raphael, 
or  Titian,  or  a Correggio.”  Then  what  becomes 
of  the  machine  argument  ? 

I will  now  endeavor  to  put  it  another  way. 
Photographs,  as  I have  endeavored  to  prove, 
show  the  mind  of  the  producer — when  he  has  a 
mind  to  show — and  given  two  equally  gifted  pho- 
tographers, as  far  as  equality  can  be  measured, 
the  one  could  not  produce  even  a colorable 
imitation  of  the  work  of  the  other.  Neither 
could  dismiss  his  individuality,  let  him  try  how 
he  may.  Take  two  representative  men,  Rej- 
lander and  F.  Bedford — neither  of  these  ac- 
complished photographers  could  have  imitated 
the  other.  They  had  both  original  minds  and 
followed  the  bent  of  their  genius,  and  their 


58 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


hands,  as  well  as  brains,  showed  in  every  pic- 
ture. 

Among  the  workers  of  the  present  day  I 
could  point  to  dozens  of  well-known  instances, 
but  one  or  two  must  suffice.  No  man’s  work 
has  been  more  imitated  than  that  of  Mr.  Gale. 
In  every  exhibition  he  is  imitated  in  size,  style, 
framing,  and  signature,  yet  an  expert  can 
decisively  say  of  two  pictures,  “This  is  the 
Gale,  and  this  is  the  imitation  he  can  even 
distinguish  between  the  imitators,  and  say, 

‘ ‘ This  is  a , and  this  is  a 

Then,  in  a ver}^  different  style,  there  are  the 
works  of  our  much-respected  President,  than 
whom  there  is  no  one  I would  prefer  to  see 
occupy  the  honorable  position  which  defective 
health  compelled  me  to  decline.  Perhaps  I am 
not  a fit  and  proper  judge  of  his  pictures,  but, 
without  altering  my  opinion  of  what  a photo- 
graph should  be,  I must  confess  that  some  of 
them  have  captured  my  admiration  for  their 
beauty  and  respect  for  other  ways  than  my 
own  when  in  good  hands.  Now,  some  have  en- 
deavored to  imitate  Mr.  Davison,  and  some 
have  renounced  photography  in  dispair,  because 
they  could  only  reach  the  eccentricity  without 
touching  the  excellence.  It  is  easy  to  put  the 
image  out  of  focus,  but  not  so  easy  to  make  a 
picture  by  that  means,  and  Mr.  Davison  makes 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


59 


pictures.  It  is  easy  to  copy  peculiarities,  but 
not  so  easy  to  imitate  valuable  essentials. 

While  on  the  subject  of  our  President,  may 
I be  permitted  to  add — for  he  is  now  in  a public 
position  and  open  to  our  shots — that,  however 
straitened  his  views  of  the  practice  of  photog- 
raphy as  an  art  may  have  been  at  one  time,  his 
opinions  have  constitutionally  broadened  down, 
until  now  the  keynote  of  his  teaching  is  liberty 
for  all. 

We  now  come  to  another  proof  of  individu- 
ality. It  used  to  be  the  practice  to  insist  on 
anonymity  at  exhibitions  until  after  the  judges 
had  done  their  work  ; but  this  was  given  up 
when  it  became  apparent  that  the  judges  usual- 
ly recognized  the  work  of  the  old  hands,  and 
the  only  nameless  ones  were  new  exhibitors. 
In  America — at  least,  at  the  Convention  Ex- 
hibition— the  farce  of  the  anonymous  is  still 
carried  to  such  an  extent  that  nobody  seems  to 
know,  officially  or  otherwise,  who  the  pictures 
are  by  until  it  is  too  late  to  be  of  any  use  to  the 
exhibitors  ; and  newspaper  criticism  has  to  be 
published  without  names.  For,  however  the 
photographs  may  proclaim  their  authors,  it 
seems  to  be  etiquette  to  pretend  not  to  know. 

The  difference  between  the  works  of  some 
of  our  best  photographers  and  those  of  the 
moderately  successful  can  scarcely  be  due  to  a 


6o 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO. 


scientific  cause,  except,  indeed,  to  a reversal  of 
the  generally  received  idea  ; for  I think,  if  the 
truth  were  known,  it  would  be  found  that  the 
producers  of  the  indifferent  pictures  had  much 
more  scientific  knowledge  than  those  who  pro- 
duce the  most  artistic  effects.  I am  acquaint- 
ed with  a great  many  of  our  photographers,  but 
I do  not  know  one  of  those  to  whom  we  are 
accustomed  to  look  for  the  chief  ornaments  of 
our  exhibitions  who  has  any  elaborate  scien- 
tific knowledge.  Indeed  the  technical  methods 
of  many  of  the  best  exhibitors  are  so  very  simple 
as  to  seem  quite  elementary.  They  usually  take 
a plate  to  the  make  of  which  they  are  accus- 
tomed, a simple  hypo  and  ammonia  developer, 
a handful  of  hypo,  and  a jug  of  water,  and  use 
them  properly  ; and  that  is  all.  They  do  not 
bring  science  to  bear  even  on  the  exposure,  at 
the  expense  of  a “few  shillings.”  They  get  on 
without  an  actinometer.  They  feel  from  ex- 
perience when  their  plate  has  had  enough,  and 
an  actinometer,  however  perfect,  would  only 
confuse  them.  But,  as  they  endeavor  to  put 
taste,  thought,  and  feeling  into  their  pictures, 
their  works  necessarily  differ  from  those  of  the 
scientist,  and  the  essence  of  their  art  is  indi- 
viduality. 

My  last  word  must  be  a word  of  caution.  Be 
original,  be  unique  if  you  can,  but  not  out  of 


PICTURE-MAKING  IN  THE  STUDIO.  6l 

harmony.  Individually  goes  wrong  when  it  is 
out  of  harmony  with  its  surroundings.  Eccen- 
tricity is  very  easy,  but  it  does  not  last.  It  is 
open  to  the  meanest  capacity,  and  is  often 
assumed  by  it;  but  genius,  to  be  useful,  should 
consist  of  individuality,  backed  up  by  suitabil- 
ity to  its  environments. 


OTHER  BOOKS 


H.  P.  ROBINSON. 


Picture  Making  by  Photography. 

Finely  illustrated.  Paper  covers,  75  cents. 
Library  edition,  $1.00. 

Letters  on  Landscape  Photography, 

with  Photogravure  Portrait  of  Author,  and 
other  illustrations.  Cloth  bound,  $1.50. 

Pictorial  Effect  in  Photography. 

Finely  illustrated.  A new  American  edition. 
Cloth  bound,  $1.50. 

Por  Sale  by  all  dealers  in  Photographic  Materials , or  sent 
post-paid , on  receipt  of  pi  ice,  by  the  Publishers,  t 

The  Scovill  & Adams  Company. 

1 


1 


Wilson’s  Photographic  Pnhlications. 

For  Sale  by  The  Soovill  & Adams  Company. 


WILSON'S  PHOTOGRAPHIC  MAGAZINE.— A semi-monthly  magazine 
devoted  to  the  advancement  of  Photography.  Edited  for  twenty-eight 
years  by  Edward  L.  Wilson,  Ph.D.  Gives  almost  800  pages  of 
practical  information,  with  24  embellishments  and  innumerable  pro- 
cess cuts,  all  of  great  interest  to  every  camera  worker,  during  the 
year.  Issued  first  and  third  Saturdays  of  each  month.  Price,  $5.00 
per  year  ; $2.50  per  half  year.  Subscriptions  may  begin  any  time- 

WILSON’S  QUARTER  CENTURY  IN  PHOTOGRAPH Y.— A com- 
plete text-book  of  the  art.  Twenty-four  hand-books  in  one  volume, 
upon  every  branch  of  Photography  ; 528  pages,  profusely  illustrated, 
with  notes  and  index.  Price,  post-paid,  $4.00. 

WILSON’S  PHOTOGRAPHICS. — “Chautauqua  Edition,”  with  Appen- 
dix. By  Edward  L.  Wilson,  Ph.D.  Eighth  Thousand.  Covers  every 
department.  Altogether  different  from  “Quarter  Century.”  Fully 
illustrated,  with  notes  and  index.  Price,  post-paid,  $4.00. 

PHOTO-ENGRAVING,  PHOTO-ETCHING,  AND  PHOTO-LITHO- 
GRAPHY.— By  W.  T.  Wilkinson.  Revised  and  enlarged  by  Ed- 
ward L.  Wilson,  Ph  D.  The  most  practical  work  extant  on  these 
subjects.  (Send  for  detailed  contents  list.)  Price,  post-paid,  $8.00. 

ESSAYS  ON  ART.— Composition,  Light  and  Shade,  and  the  Educa- 
tion of  the  Eye. — By  John  Burnet.  Three  priceless  volumes  in 
one,  with  150  illustrations,  lithographed  in  facsimile  from  original 
costly  edition.  $4.00,  post-paid. 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  LANTERN.— By  T.  C.  Hepworth.  The  most 
practical  handbook  to  lantern  work  so  far  issued.  278  pages.  Bound 
in  cloth.  Price,  $2.00,  post-paid. 

PHOTOGRAPHIC  MOSAICS. — An  annual  record  of  Photographic  pro- 
gress. Edited  by  Edward  L.  Wilson,  Ph  D.  Issued  every  Novem- 
ber ; now  in  its  twenty-eighth  year.  Universally  acknowledged  to  be 
a most  helpful  annual.  Price,  paper,  50c.;  cloth  bound,  $1.00. 


n 


PHOTOGRAPHIC  PUBLICATIONS. 

For  Sale  by  The  Scovill  & Adams  Company. 

Price 

* per  copy. 

LANTERN-SLIDES,  AND  HOW  TO  MAKE  THEM.— By  A R.  Dresser.  A 

new  book,  very  complete  and  practical  $0  25 

FLASH-LIGHTS,  AND  HOW  TO  MAKE  THEM.  By  L.  C.  Bennett.  A 

thoroughly  practical  book,  fully  illustrated 50 

BROMIDE  PAPER  AND  HOW  TO  USE  IT.  A practical  treatise,  written  by 

an  expert,  with  a full-page  illustration.  Price,  postpaid 25 

THE  KNACK. — Written  to  help  the  beginner  out  of  difficulty Reduced  to  25 

PHOTOGRAPHIC  LENSES;  THEIR  CHOICE  AND  USE.— J.  H.Dallmeyer. 

A special  edition  edited  for  American  photographers.  In  paper  covers 25 

THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  PHOTOGRAPHY.— By  Prof.  Raphael  Meldola 2 00 

THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC  IMAGE.— By  P.  C.  Duchochois 1 50 

Cloth  bound  2 00 

THE  FERROTYPER’S  GUIDE. — For  the  Ferrotyper,  this  is  the  only  standard 

work.  Seventh  thousand 75 

THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC  STUDIOS  OF  EUROPE.-By  H.  Baden  Pritchard, 

F.C.S.  Paper  cover 50 

Library  Edition 1 00 

ART  OF  MAKING  PORTRAITS  IN  CRAYON  ON  SOLAR  ENLARGE- 
MENTS.—(Third  Edition.)  By  E.  Long 1 00 

PHOTOGRAPHY  APPLIED  TO  SURVEYING.— Illustrated.  By  Lieut.  Henry 

A.  Reed,  U.  S.  A.  Cloth  bound 2 50 

HISTORY  AND  HAND  BOOK  OF  PHOTOGRAPHY.— Translated  from  the 

French  of  Gaston  Tissandier,  with  seventy  illustrations.  Cloth  bound 75 

CRAYON  PORTRAITURE.— Complete  instructions  for  making  Crayon  Portraits 
on  Crayon  Paper  and  on  Pj&tinum,  Silver  and  Bromide  Enlargements ; also 
directions  for  the  use  of  Transparent  Liquid  Water  Colors,  and  for  making 

French  Crystals.  By  J.  A.  Barhydt.  A new  edition.  Paper  covers 50 

Cloth  bound 1 00 

ART  RECREATIONS.— A guide  to  decorative  art.  Ladies’  popular  guide  in 

home  decorative  work.  Edited  by  Marion  Kemble 2 00 

AMERICAN  CARBON  MANUAL.— For  those  who  want  to  try  the  Carbon  printing 

process,  this  work  gives  the  most  detailed  information.  Cloth  bound.  Reduced  to  50 

MANUAL  DE  FOTOGRAFIA. — By  Augustus  Le  Plongeon.  (Hand-Book  for 

Spanish  Photographers.) 1 00 

SECRETS  OF  THE  DARK  CHAMBER.— By  D.  D.  T.  Davie 50 

THE  PHOTOGRAPHER’S  BOOK  OF  PRACTICAL  FORMULAS.— Compiled 

by  Dr.  W.  D.  Holmes,  Ph.B.,  and  E.  P.  Gkiswold.  Paper  covers 75 

Cloth  bound 1 50 

AMERICAN  HAND-BOOK  OF  THE  DAGUERREOTYPE.  — By  S.  D. 
Humphrey.  (Fifth  Edition.)  This  book  contains  the  various  processes 
employed  in  taking  Heliographic  impressions Reduced  to  25 

THE  PRACTICAL  PHOTOGRAPHIC  ALMANAC  FOR  1879 25 

MOSAICS  FOR  1870,  1871,  1872,  1873,  1875,  1885,  1886,  1887,  1888,  1889  25 

BRITISH  JOURNAL  ALMANAC  FOR  1878,  1882,  1883,  1887,  1891  25 

PHOTO  NEWS  YEAR  BOOK  OF  PHOTOGRAPHY  FOR  1871,  1876,  1887, 1888, 

1890,  1891 25 

THE  PHOTOGRAPHER’S  FRIEND  ALMANAC  FOR  1873  25 


Edited  by  W.  I.  LINCOLN  ADAMS, 

IS  THE 

ONLY  ILLUSTRATED  WEEKLY 

PHOTOGRAPHIC  MAGAZINE 

IN  THE  WORLD. 

In  the  year  fifty-two  full  page  pictures 
are  given,  making  THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC 
TIMES  the  best  illustrated  Photographic 
periodical  in  the  world.  Special  numbers  contain 
more  than  one  high-grade  illustration  ; and  there 
are  published,  beside  superb  Photogravures, 
pictorial  illustrations  by  the  other  photographic 
and  photo-mechanical  printing  processes. 

The  illustrations  are  carefully  selected,  and  repre- 
sent the  best  work  of  representative  American  and 
foreign  photographic  artists. 

The  Editorials  are  of  greatest  practical 
value  as  they  are  the  result  of  actual  practice  and 
experiment  by  the  staff,  and  the  articles  are  by  the 
most  eminent  authorities  in  this  country  and  abroad. 

One  Year , - - $5,00  \ Site  Months , - - $2,50 

Three  Months 9 trial , - - $1.00 

THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC  TIMES  PUBLISHING  ASSOCIATION, 

PUBLISHERS, 

423  Broome  Street , New  York  City • 


IV 


TWELVE  PHOTOGRAPHIC  STUDIES 


SECOND  EDITION. 

A COLLECTION  OF  PHOTOGRAVURES  FROM  THE  BEST  REPRESENTATIVE  PHOTOGRAPHIC 
NEGATIVES  BY  LEADING  PHOTOGRAPHIC  ARTISTS.  The  Collection  inoludes 


“ Dawn  and  Sunset” H.  P.  Robinson 

“Childhood” H.  McMichael 

“As  Age  Steals  On” J.  F.  Ryder 

“ A Portrait  Study” B.  J.  Falk 

“ Solid  Comfort” John  E.  Dumont 

“Ophelia” H.  P.  Robinson 

“ No  Barrier” F.  A.  Jackson 

“El  Capitan  ” W H.  Jackson 

“ Still  Waters” J.  J.  Montgomery  . 

“ Surf” James  F.  Cowee 

“ A Horse  Race” George  Barker 

“ Hi,  Mister,  may  we  have  some  Apples?” Geo.  B.  Wood 


Printed  on  Japan  Paper , mounted  on  boards.  Size  n x 14,  in  ornamental 
portfolio  envelope.  Price , $3.00.  Sent , post-paid , on  receipt  of  price,  in  a box . 

THE  SCOVILL  &.  ADAMS  COMPANY,  Publishers. 


Artistic  Landscapes  from  Nature, 

IN  PHOTOGRAVURE, 

FROM  PHOTOGRAPHIC  NEGATIVES, 

Representing  the  Four  Seasons. 

Printed  on  extra  heavy  plate  paper , 11  x 11  inches  in  size . 

SUITABLE  FOR  FRAMING. 

What  Mr.  George  Inness,  America’s  greatest  landscape  painter,  says  of 
these  Photogravures  : — “ They  are  very  charming,  and  should  prove  extremely 
useful  in  the  development  of  the  landscape  art  of  our  country . ” 

Price,  50  Cents  Each. 

The  Set  of  Four,  $1.50. 

Sent,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

HE  MONIGLAIR  PHOTOGRAVURE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 


ORANGE  ROAD, 


MONTCLAIR,  N.  J. 


“ELITE”  STUDIO  STAND. 

^ (PRIZE  MINNER.) 


Patented. 


These  are  the  only  Stands  suited  in  workmanship  and  finish,  also  in  size>  to  the  large 
American  Optical  Co.’s  Cameras,  with  their  great  length  of  bellows  and  extension  platform. 
Practical  portraitists  cannot  fail  to  admire  the  ease  with  which  these  stands  can  be  adjusted 
at  any  desirable  height  or  inclination,  and  the  noiseless  manner  in  which  they  may  be 
moved  from  place  to  place,  their  elegant  appearance  and  accurate  construction. 

Instead  of  the  clumsy  levers  and  racks,  by  which  accurate  adjustment  of  the  platform 
was  obtained  in  the  older  stands  ; the  proper  elevation  and  inclination  are  produced  in  the 
11  Elite  ” stand  by  cog-wheel  and  snake  screw,  and  the  manipulation  at  one  side  by  a wheel 
with  handle,  and  within  reach  of  the  operator,  so  that  he  may  adjust  the  height  or  incli- 
nation of  this  camera  without  taking  his  head  from  under  the  focusing  cloth.  By  means 
of  the  wheel  worked  at  the  rear  end  of  the  platform,  the  horizontal  position  of  the  plat- 
form may  be  inclined  upward  or  downward  to  a limit  of  15  degrees.  A great  advantage 
from  this  movement,  we  observe,  is  that  a true  horizontal  position  —so  difficult  to  obtain 
in  the  old  camera  stands — is.  with  these,  an  easy  matter  to  effect.  This  is  especially  impor- 
tant to  those  who  may  use  them  for  reproduction  work.  In  the  No.  2 size  the  platform  is 
fifty-two  inches  long  and  twenty-five  inches  wide,  and  its  length  may  be  increased  to 
seventy  inches  by  an  attachment  which  slides  out  forward,  making  it  quite  long  enough 
for  supporting  a large  copying  camera.  Then  a semi-circular  cut-out,  to  the  rear  end  of 
the  platform,  is  a convenience  to  the  operator,  who  is  thus  enabled  not  only  to  stand 
closely  up  to  the  ground  glass,  no  matter  how  far  the  camera  may  have  been  pushed 
forward,  but  bending  of  the  body  is  obviated,  which  is  quite  a necessity  with  all  the  older 
stands. 

“ELITE”  STTJDIO  STANDS 


No.  1 Size.  No.  2 Size 

Price,  with  Rack  and  extension  for  Plate  Holder $32.00  $36.00 

Highest  point  from  platform  to  floor 48  48 

Lowest  “ “ “ “ 32  32 

^ Width  of  platform  22  26 

Length  of  platform  without  attachment 45  52 

“ “ with  “ 60  70 


For  Sale  by  all  Dealers  in  Photographic  Materials  and  The  Scovill  & Adams  Company. 


VI 


THE  AMERICAN  OPTICAL  CO.’S 

Si  UNRIVALED  es 


pom w cam^kas. 


The  American  Optical  Company  Portrait  Cameras  are 
manufactured  from  the  best  mahogany,  French  polished, 
and  have  the  Lever  Focusing  Attachment,  by  which  the 
most  delicate  focus  can  be  adjusted  with  the  utmost  facility 
and  ease.  Above  10  x 12  size,  they  have  double  bellows, 
vertical  shifting  front,  the  V-shaped  wooden  guide,  and 
telescopic  platform. 


No.  Size. 


With  Double 
Swing-back. 


5 — 8x10  ins.,  with  rigid  platform  30  ins.  long $38  00 

6— 10x12  “ “ “ “ 36  “ 48  00 

7 —  11x14  “ extension  “ 48  double  bellows  and 

vertical  shifting  front,  64  00 

8— 12x15  “ “ “ 48  “ “ 72  00 

9— 14x17  “ “ “ 60  “ “ 76  00 

10— 16x20  “ “ “ 65  “ “ 88  00 

11— 17x20  “ “ “ 65  “ “ 90  00 

12— 18x22  “ “ “ 70  “ “ 100  00 

13— 20x24  “ “ “ 72  “ “ 110  00 

14_22x27  “ “ “ 72  “ “ 130  00 

15—25x30  “ “ “ 80  “ “ 170  00 


Buy  from  Dealers  or  the  Scovill  & Adams  Company. 


vii 


The  American  Optical  Co. 


WITH  WATERBURY  CURTAIN-SLIDE  HOLDER. 


No.  40. — 8 x 10  Royal  Camera,  double  swing-back $50  00 

“ 41.— 11  x 14  “ “ 11  85  00 

“ 42—14x17  “ “ “ 110  00 


Above  the  8 x 10  size  an  extra  ground-glass  is  supplied  for  use  in  focusing  when 
pictures  of  groups  are  being  taken. 


The  11  x 14  Boston  Imperial  Camera  is  the  same  as  an  11  x 14  Portrait  Camera,  with  the 
addition  of  an  8 x 10  Carnage  and  an  8 x 10  Holder,  and  is  used  to  make  two  imperials  on 
an  8 x 10  or  4-4  plate,  using  one  4-4  lens  • two  cards  on  a 5 x 8 plate,  using  one  1-2  size 
lens;  two  large  panel  pictures,  6x10  inches  in  size,  can  also  be  made,  and  regular  work 
from  11  x 14  to  1-4  inclusive.  All  with  Double  Swing-back  and  Waterbury  Holder. 

No.  80.-11x14  Boston  Imperial  Camera,  with  8x10  attachment  and  holder,  $ 85  00 
44  31.-14x17  “ 4‘  “ “ 8x10  “ “ 100  00 

“ 82.-17x20  “ “ “ “ 8x10  “ “ 110  00 

“ 33.-18x22  “ “ “ “ 8x10  “ 44  120  00 

••  34.-20x24  “ “ “ “ 11x14  “ 140  00 

For  Sale  by  all  Dealers  in  Photographic  Materials  and  The  Scovill  & Adams  Company, 

viii 


Boston  Imperial  Cameras. 


THE  AMERICAN  OPTICAL  CO.’S 

CABINET  PLATE  HOLDER  ATTACHMENT 

Consists  of  a board  the  same  size  of 
the  plate-holder  of  the  camera.  It 
is  put  in  place  the  same  as  holders, 
upon  pegs,  with  spring  catch  at  top 
In  center  of  board  is  an  opening  with 
hinged  ground-glass  to  receive  the 
holder  selected,  4^x6^,  5x7,  or  5x8. 
Can  be  fitted  to  any  8x10  or  larger 
portrait  camera  by  sending  exact  size 
of  plate-holder.  When  wishing  to 
use  larger  plates  can  be  instantly 
removed.  By  the  aid  of  this  attach- 
ment and  twelve  single  light-weight 
holders  you  always  have  a supply  of 
plate-holders  loaded  and  ready  for 
use,  save  the  expense  of  large  extra 
holders  and  many  a trip  to  the  dark- 
room, and  you  are  sure  of  always 
getting  your  subject  in  the  proper 
position  on  the  plate. 

For  8 x 10  Am.  Optical  Co.  Best  Portrait  Camera  with  one  single  Light-Weight  Holder,  price,  $8  00 

“10x12  “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ 9 00 

“ 11  x 14 
“ 12x15 
“ 14  x 17 
“ 15  x 18 
“ 17  x 20 
“ 18x22 
“ 20  x 24 


‘ “ 10  00 

1 “ 11  00 

‘ “ 11  00 

“ 12  00 
13  00 
“ 13  00 

“ 14  00 


THE  GREAT  STUDIO  PLATE-HOLDER. 


THE  WATERBURY  HOLDER  may  be  adjusted  to  various  sizes  of  plates  quicker 
and  easier  than  any  other  Holder.  No  kits  are  required,  and  the  plates  used  must  be 
m lTt.Ce«7er'  and  maY  1,6  laid  the  proper  place  in  the  dark. 

The  Waterbury  Holder  requires  no  latches  to  secure  the  plate  firmly  in  place.  The 
mechanism  is  so  simple  that  it  cannot  get  out  of  order  except  by  destroying  the  Holder. 

The  Waterbury  Holder  adjustments  work  with  entire  freedom  and  yet  without 
vibration  or  side-play. 

The  Bonanza  Holder  was  acknowledged  to  be  the  best  wet-plate  Holder  ; and  every  can- 
did man  will  admit  that  the  Waterbury  Holder  is  the  best  dry-plate  Holder  for  gallery  use . 
This  Holder,  with  Roller  Slide,  supplied  with  American  Optical  Co.  Portrait  Cameras. 

Buy  from  Dealers  or  The  Scovill  & Adams  Company. 


x 


WEYpeilTH  VIGNETTE  PflPEI$. 

WAYMOUTH’S  VIGNETTE  PAPERS  are  the  best  means  for  producing  fine 
effects  in  printing.  They  are  made  in  nineteen  sizes;  printed  in  black,  yellow, 
and  red  bronze,  to  suit  different  qualities  of  negatives.  They  are  not  clumsy,  do 
not  break,  cost  but  little,  and  are  easy  of  application  to  any  negative.  They  do  away  with 

all  the  older  methods  ; and,  in  fact,  they 
have  no  equal.  We  have  quantities  of 
testimonials  ; but  the  best  guarantee  of 
their  quality  and  work  is  their  increas- 
ing popularity  and  our  increased  sales. 
Better  than  any  patent  machine,  and 
sell  better  every  month. 

PRICES: 

In  parcels  containing  one  dozen, 

assorted.  Nos.  1 to 5 $0  50 

In  parcels  containing  one  of  each 
size.  Nos.  1 to  15,  assorted  colors.  1 00 
Assorted  sizes  and  colors,  by  num 

ber,  per  package  of  15 1 00 

Nos.  1,  2,  3,  4 and  5,  assorted  sizes 
and  colors,  for  Cartes,  by  num- 
ber, per  dozen 50 

Nos.  6,  7,  11,  12  and  13.  assorted 
sizes  and  colors,  for  large  Cartes 
and  Victorias,  by  number,  per 

dozen 75 

Nos.  8, 9, 10, 14, 15  and  15^ , assorted 
sizes  and  colors,  Cabinets  and 
Whole  size,  by  number,  per  doz.  1 00 
Nos.  10,  17  and  18,  assorted  sizes 
and  colors.  Half  Cabinets  and 
Whole  size,  by  number,  per  doz.  1 25 
When  ordering,  state  the  number  and 
color  you  want. 

SCOVILL  & ADAMS  COMPANY,  Trade  Agents. 


gC0YIhh  PRip-R0LthEl^. 


SUPERIOR  10  ANYTHING  IN  THE  MARKET 

THE  Scovill  Print- Roller 
is  especially  designed 
to  be  used  in  the  place  of 
the  ordinary  Squeegee  in 
working  film  and  paper 
negatives,  bromide  prints, 
for  removing  surplus  wa- 
ter from  albumen  prints 
before  mounting,  etc. 

It  is  neatly  constructed 
with  black  walnut  handle, 
brass  trimmings,  and  a 
heavily  - covered  rubber 
roller. 

It  will  be  found  a very 
handy  tool  alike  to  the 
professional  and  amateur 
photographer. 

Price,  8 inch,  . $1.00  each. 


Buy  from  Dealers  or  the  Scovill  & Adams  Company. 


x 


James  Swift  & Sons’ 

(LONDON,  ENGLAND) 

PARAGON  LENSES, 

" SSS2SS? ^ 

WE  take  great  pleasure  in  announcing  to  American  Photographers 
that  henceforth  we  shall  be  enabled  to  supply  them  with 
JAMES  SWIFT  & SON’S  PARAGON  LENSES. 

The  reputation  of  these  Lenses  abroad  is  superior  to  that  of  any 
other  make.  They  have  been  selected  by  the  following-named  institu- 
tions because  of  their  unequaled  qualities  and  excellence. 

The  Scientific  Department  of  the  English  Government  in  England, 
Calcutta  and  Bengal. 

The  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  King’s  College  and 
Edinburgh  University  College  Schools. 

Owens  College,  Manchester,  besides  the  Governments  of  France, 
Germany  and  Italy. 

The  SWIFT  LENSES  have  been  awarded  no  less  than  seven 
gold  medals,  besides  numerous  diplomas  of  honor. 

They  are  manufactured  from  the  new  Abbe-Schott  glass,  which  is 
undoubtedly  more  uniform  in  quality  and  specific  gravity  than  the  best 
optical  flint  and  crown  glass  heretofore  made  ; hence  the  lenses  are  of  a 
uniformly  superior  quality. 


Are  supplied  with  Iris  Diaphragms  and  mounted  in  brass  as  well  as 
aluminum  ; while  the  WIDE-ANGLE  PARAGON  LENSES  are  fitted 
Revolving  Diaphragms. 

Catalogues  of  SWIFT  LENSES  supplied  Free  on  application. 


THE  SCOVILL  & ADAMS  COMPANY, 

SOLE  AGENTS  IN  AMERICA. 


xi 


THE 


Scovill  & Adams  Company, 

423  Broome  Street,  New  York  City, 

SUCCESSORS  TO  THE 

PHOTOGRAPHIC  DEPARTMENT 

OF  THE — 

Scovill  Manufacturing  Company, 

Are  Manufacturers,  Importers  of  and  Dealers  in 


An  Unequalled  Variety  of 


PMmliiG  * Goods 


Embracing 

Every  Requisite  of  the 


Practical  Photographer, 

Professional  and  Amateur. 


Publication  Department. 

Publishers  of  “THE  SCOVILL  PHOTOGRAPHIC 
SERIES”  (40  publications),  the  “Photographic  Times 
Annual,”  etc.,  etc. 

Latest  Catalogue  of  Photographic  Books  and  Albums,  and 
a copy  of  “ How  to  Make  Photographs  ” sent  free  on 
application. 

W.  IRVING  ADAMS,  H.  LITTLEJOHN, 

President  &*  Treasurer.  Secretary 


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